Bertrand Traore scores on debut as much-changed Aston Villa ease to victory at Bristol City

Bristol City 0 Aston Villa 3

During what promises to be the most relentless season in the history of domestic football, Aston Villa enjoyed a restorative walk in the park at Ashton Gate.

A sublime Bertrand Traore volley on his debut was comfortably the highlight of this crowdless, one-way show against Championship Bristol City.

For once, City fans may be glad the ongoing crowd shut out at least saved them a trip to watch a borderline friendly fixture between fringe players.

Both sides have been in impressive form since the delayed summer break, and, with 19 on-field changes between them for this fixture, it was clear priorities were away from this EFL cup tie.

Dean Smith's auditionees ran the show immediately in the first half to kill the game within 13 minutes. Max O'Leary, one of eight changes from the City that swept aside Stoke at the weekend, had already made a series of smart saves in the opening minutes before a jinking run in from the right by the excellent Keinan Davis created an opening for Anwar El Ghazi, who side-footed home with ease after seven minutes.

Most encouraging of all will be the confident debut of Traore, who scored the second five minutes later. The £19million signing from Lyon will seem a snip if he manages many more emphatic efforts like the sizzling volley he hammered right footed across a despairing O'Leary's goal.

The 25-year-old winger was the club’s fourth signing of the transfer window but a delay in receiving a work permit meant the Burkina Faso international was unable to feature in Monday’s 1-0 win.

John Terry, the Villa assistant manager, said he was not surprised by Traore's impressive debut, having seen how "very hungry" he was as a youngster at Chelsea.  "He’s got that potential to beat players, score great goals and hopefully we’ll see more of that.

Terry added Traore's pace and skill will blend well with Jack Grealish in a potential attacking three. "We have that (ability to beat players) with Jack as well but he gets doubled up in a lot of our games and I think if he can do that on the other side it might free Jack up, especially if we can get the switch of play very quickly."

The second half saw City improve moderately, with neat flicks between Adam Nagy and Steven Sessegnon to create openings on the right.

Their main creative hopes, Kasey Palmer and Antoine Semenya - who blazed his only effort wide - were largely anonymous, however.

O'Leary deserved credit for keeping the scoreline respectable late on but he could do little about Ollie Watkins' close range effort just three minutes after being introduced from the bench.

Bristol City head coach Dean Holden said afterwards: "We went toe-to-toe with them right to the end that’s left ourselves open at the end. But I’m not going to get too down because Villa are tough opponents."

Match details

Bristol City (3-5-2): O’Leary 7; Vyner 5, Moore 5, Rowe 5; Sessegnon 5, Brunt 5 (Bakinson 6, 66), Nagy 6, Palmer 5 (Martin 5, 79), Eliasson 5; Semenyo 5, Diedhiou 5 (Massengo 78).

Subs: Bentley, Mawson, Paterson, Wells

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Steer 6; Guilbert 6, Elmohamady 7, Hause 6, Taylor 7; Lansbury 6 (Hourihane 78), Nakamba 5, J Ramsey 6; Traore 7 (Trezeguet 5, 68), Davis 7 (Watkins 6, 68), El Ghazi 6.

Goals: El Ghazi 8, Traore 13, Watkins 73.

Subs: Kalinic, Mings, Targett, McGinn.

Referee: James Linington.