Aston Villa: Unai Emery must axe Nicolo Zaniolo as off-field scandal continues
Unai Emery must axe Nicolo Zaniolo from his starting XI at Aston Villa regardless of his involvement in the continued investigation into an illegal betting accusation.
The Italian who arrived at Villa Park in the summer transfer window has simply not been good enough and stands out as the weak link in Emery’s side while other stars are shining, and his displays could force Emery’s hand.
Regardless of whether he is found guilty in the ongoing investigation, where he insists he has never bet on the sport and is assisting authorities [Daily Mail, 27 October], his place in the first team should no longer be afforded to him.
There is a continued hope at Villa Park that he may switch his form, and the illegal betting scandal has certainly done him no favours in terms of his focus on the pitch, but as of yet, he has shown nothing to prove he should be starting every week.
In his last three starts under Emery, Zaniolo has been dragged off early after underwhelming displays. He played just 45 minutes against Luton and 57 against Brighton despite victories in those games, and 76 minutes played against West Ham was the highest tally. [Sofascore]
His performances in those games haven’t warranted any extended game time. He completed just 26 passes in a combined 178 minutes despite playing in midfield, showing his lack of influence on the pitch.
On top of this, he has competed in a combined 37 duels across the three games and has been successful in just 12 of them, at a success rate of 32%, although seven of those successful duels came in the same game against West Ham.
The clear and complete lack of influence on the games in which he has started will surely see him removed from the first team, and regardless of whether or not he is found guilty of involvement in the illegal betting scandal, he should no longer be a feature of the strongest Villa side.
Emery will be forced to drop him one way or another, either literally as a result of the scandal, or the lack of impressive displays on the pitch.
In other Aston Villa news, a new signing is finally proving his worth with a 95% display.