Aston Villa secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Lille, with Ezri Konsa delivering a stellar performance to help the team maintain a clean sheet. Ollie Watkins scored a second-half header, his ninth of the season, contributing to the team's win in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 at the Stade Pierre Mauroy.  

Furthermore, Aston Villa demonstrated resilience in defense, ultimately achieving their first clean sheet in five matches. The team returned to the B6 Stadium with a narrow advantage, preparing for next week's Europa League Round of 16 second leg.  

After the match, Ezri Konsa said, "Things are going well so far. The past few months haven't been ideal for us, and we haven't achieved our expected results. But we understand the importance of today's match and we must do our best to win. We also competed here a few years ago, so we know how difficult this match is."  

"For me, the most important thing is that the team kept a clean sheet, which is what we have been striving for in the past few games. We will not celebrate too much because the second leg is still waiting, and we must concentrate on completing the task."  

The victory in northern France helped the team end a four-game winless streak across all competitions. Following their match against Chelsea, Unai Emery's team enjoyed an eight-day break and crossed the English Channel. Captain John McKinney returned from injury, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute, which greatly boosted team morale.  

Ezri Konsa is currently focused on continuing his winning streak in Sunday's match against Manchester United. He stated, "There are still eight days until that game, so we have the opportunity to prepare thoroughly and relax, putting the Premier League games aside for now. But the last game is over, and we still have a tough game to play on Sunday. Football always has its ups and downs; you experience some fluctuations. I hope today's victory will be a positive sign."  

Image source: Internet /   Aston Villa official website