Aston Villa: Unai Emery must be brave and axe Moussa Diaby v Sheffield United
Unai Emery’s constant selection of below-par Moussa Diaby is costing Aston Villa and he must be brave to axe him against Sheffield United.
Following three successive away games to kick-start the New Year, the Villans were welcomed back to Villa Park with a disappointing defeat to Newcastle United (30 January) last time out.
And Villa will now be seeking redemption in their surprise push for the Premier League title when they make the trip to basement boys Sheffield United.
Villa will be targeting a positive run of form in the coming weeks with favourable-looking fixtures against a bottom-half sides Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Luton on the horizon, which could well force Emery into some changes.
One player who is in danger of facing the chop is Diaby who has suffered from a dramatic decline in performances and contributions in front of goal.
Diaby joined Villa in the summer from Bayer Leverkusen and hit the ground running to much excitement given his success and acclaim in Germany last season where he registered a tremendous 14 goals and three assists in all competitions.
That success translated into early excitement in his new surroundings, recording six goal involvements in his first seven Premier League games for the club.
But the 24-year-old has only scored one goal in the club’s last 12 league games [SofaScore] and appears to be playing within himself in recent months.
Aston Villa fans will be forgiven for questioning Emery’s constant decisions to pick him when Leon Bailey has enjoyed an upturn in performances in recent weeks.
Diaby’s performances certainly have not lived up to his hype as one of Europe’s most decorated attacking commodities.
Against Newcastle in midweek, the Frenchman recorded just 19 touches, successfully completed just 71% of passes, failed to attempt a single cross or long ball, failed with his single dribble attempt, and registered one key pass whilst missing a big chance in the second half [SofaScore].
There were also two instances in the match where the former Leverkusen man got into promising positions but failed to make the most of them with some poor passes and decisions.
Emery paid big-money for Diaby’s consistent impact in Birmingham but he is so far looking like a player on the periphery after such a great start to his Villa Park career.
Moussa Diaby not the only guilty party for Aston Villa
Diaby certainly wasn’t the only one to put in a disappointing display against the Magpies but when his teammate Ollie Watkins turned difficulty into endeavour and a goal, the Frenchman failed to follow suit.
As soon as Emery chalked him off for Leon Bailey after the hour mark, Aston Villa looked like a totally different attacking threat with the Jamaican providing the influence and cutting edge in half an hour that Diaby failed in 60 minutes.
With the Villans bringing in Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough, his place in the team is now under more serious threat and it won’t be a surprise to see him axed at Bramall Lane. It’s a decision that could aid Aston Villa in their search for a crucial win.
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