In a moment that tears at the term ‘friendly’, Marseille’s Mason Greenwood was flung around by Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings, resulting in a ripped shirt.
During the pre-season match at Stade Vélodrome in the south of France, the former Manchester United striker needlessly kicked out at Amadou Onana as he was passing the ball away. The whistle went for the foul, Onana picked himself up, and questioned a laughing Greenwood. Which is when Mings, 32, arrived on the scene.
Getting between the pair, he grabbed hold of the attacker’s shirt and as players from both sides came together, the defender began spinning Greenwood round and round. His jersey never stood a chance.
The match – Villa’s penultimate outing before they host Newcastle United in the opening weekend of the Premier League season – finished 3-1 in favour of the French outfit.
Mings may have been hurting from the opening goal, when Greenwood seized on a loose touch by the defender before rounding the goalkeeper and slotting the first goal just five minutes in. Villa captain John McGinn equalised before half-time but the match was ultimately decided by two late goals from Marseille substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
If the players coming together felt feisty, tempers also flared on the touchline, with footage being shared on social media of Villa manager Unai Emery exchanging words with Marseille’s Robert De Zerbi.
This is not Villa’s last pre-season match. They now face Villareal on Sunday, in Spain. They defeated Roma 4-0 two days ago.
Having finished eighth last season, Villa have qualified to play in the Europa League this term – their third consecutive season of European competition. Striker Evan Guessand is Villa’s headline signing so far this summer, with goalkeeper Marco Bizot their other recruit.
Source:The Telegraph