'Hard to criticise' - Sunderland legend has sympathy for Black Cats star after Aston Villa defeat
A Sunderland legend has delivered his verdict on one incident during Sunday’s defeat at Premier League rivals.
Sunderland legend Marco Gabbiadini has admitted he ‘felt a bit sorry’ for one current Black Cats star after a pivotal moment in Sunday’s defeat at Premier League rivals Aston Villa.
Regis Le Bris’ men made the worst possible start at Villa Park as their hosts took the lead with an Ollie Watkins goal inside the opening two minutes - but hit back quickly as Chris Rigg’s first Premier League goal wiped out that advantage. However, Watkins’ second goal of the day and a Morgan Rogers strike in the early stages of the second-half looked to have put Villa on their way to a win that would have boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League once again.
Remarkably, Sunderland hit back in stunning fashion as quickfire strikes from Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor inside the final ten minutes appeared to have snatched a point that would have provided a major boost in the Black Cats’ own push for Europe. That was followed by a major moment in the game as Habib Diarra broke in behind the Villa defence before opting to attempt an audacious chip over hosts keeper Emi Martinez. The Argentina international kept out the effort and got his reward when Tammy Abraham snatched all three points for Villa in injury-time - and that left Diarra to receive some criticism from pundits after the game. However, former Black Cats striker Gabbiadini stressed he had some sympathy for the midfielder despite conceding his decision to attempt a chip was ‘an unusual choice’.
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Hard to criticise
He told BBC Newcastle’s Total Sport: "I felt a bit sorry for him. I heard a lot of comments from people saying he should have passed it to Talbi. Talbi was nowhere near him until the last second. He had to make the decision of what he was going to do and Talbi made up the ground. I don't think he saw Talbi, he was so clear. For me usually what you try and do there is play it through the legs if you can and keep it low. If you bring the goalkeeper's arms into it then they are covering more of that space. Martinez is a top goalkeeper.
"He could have chipped it over Martinez and it still not go over the line because he was so far out still. He could have had another touch. Play it through his legs, play it at his feet. You've got a chance of it rebounding to you. If you play it at the goalkeeper's hands at that pace they gobble the ball up. It was an unusual choice for somebody who is not experienced with one-on-ones. It was a great opportunity after a great pass from Le Fee. He will be disappointed but next time it might be different. It's hard to criticise. I don't think the Talbi pass was in his mind because he didn't arrive on the scene until he was ready to pull the trigger."
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