Moussa Diaby must be hooked at half-time in Aston Villa v Brentford, he looks lost
Aston Villa headed to Brentford with the knowledge that they could end the day sitting top of the Premier League table if things go their way.
Manager Unai Emery was able to name a strong XI for the Premier League clash on Sunday (17 December) after resting several key players against Zrinjski on Thursday (14 December).
But the boss may already be thinking about turning to his bench at half-time against the Bees given the struggles of Moussa Diaby.
As per Sofascore, the winger won just two of his five duels (40%), had two shots blocked, and was accurate with just one of his three crosses.
The attacker also lost possession of the ball four times, and failed to help out defensively, with Diaby not making any tackles, clearances or interceptions.
It is a massive opportunity for Villa at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Emery will not want any players performing below par.
With plenty of talented players on his bench, the man in the dugout can afford to chop and change things at half-time if he isn’t entirely satisfied.
The likes of Leon Bailey, Jhon Duran and Nicolo Zaniolo will all be desperate to get as many minutes as possible in order to impress the boss at this key stage of the season.
Not only is it key, but it is also very busy, with fixtures against Sheffield United, Manchester United and Burnley all still to come before the end of the year for the Midlands club.
In other Aston Villa news, one 17 G/A Villa star has been “unleashed” under Emery, he must be kept at Villa Park at all costs amid Premier League interest.