Aston Villa: Moussa Diaby must start against Wolves after Unai Emery decision
By Max Wilkins.
Aston Villa host local rivals Wolves as they look to get back to winning ways post-international break on Saturday 30 March.
The Villans are without a Premier League win since the beginning of March when they rescued three points against Luton Town.
Despite a resounding win against Ajax in Europe, domestic games have seen a heavy defeat to Tottenham and a close-fought draw against West Ham.
The international break came at a perfect time for Unai Emery to provide the majority of his squad with a well-needed rest.
There have been some tactical tweaks made by the Spaniard in the past few weeks which have left fans frustrated at times. One change saw Jhon Duran come in against the Hammers but after just 13 touches [FotMob], he was hooked at halftime and replaced by Moussa Diaby.
In a 45-minute cameo, the Villa record signing clocked up 24 touches but made the most of his opportunity. The game certainly changed after his introduction which saw the Villans take control of the game away from home and secure a point.
This positive performance by the Frenchman was boosted as he provided an assist, which could point towards a start against Wolves.
It has been an up-and-down campaign for the £51m summer signing who has registered four goals and six assists in 29 Premier League appearances.
Coming on at the Olympic Stadium, the Frenchman had a 90% pass accuracy as he kept things ticking. On top of this, he created three chances, as well as the assist for Nicolo Zaniolo’s equaliser in his latest rescue act.
Will Moussa Diaby be handed an Aston Villa start against Wolves?
It has to be said that Diaby had an electric start to the season with top strikes against Newcastle and Burnley in his first three games.
He has contributed to ten across 18 starts for the Villans. This hasn’t stopped him from leaving fans frustrated on many occasions.
Since his introduction at Villa Park, Leon Bailey has found some excellent form and has been one of the most important players for Emery.
There has been some excellent combination play between the former Bayer Leverkusen teammates which has excited fans. This was most recently the case against Ajax as both got on the scoresheet.
With a lack of league goals from Villa in their last two games, the duo could combine to boost attacking output against Gary O’Neil’s side this weekend.
In other Aston Villa news, Leander Dendoncker is facing a nightmare situation at Napoli.
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