Aston Villa: Unai Emery must axe Pau Torres if he wants to win v Bournemouth
Pau Torres was one of the several disappointing performers as Aston Villa scraped through in the Europa Conference League clash against Lille, and could now be dropped against Bournemouth.
Normally one of the most consistent players under Unai Emery, Torres was one of the weak links as Villa were outperformed in possession and shots while Emi Martinez was forced to be the hero.
The centre-back also benefitted from Diego Carlos’ removal from the starting XI – a decision that ultimately paid off as he was replaced by Matty Cash – despite the Brazilian’s strong form.
Pau Torres could be axed as Aston Villa face Bournemouth
Carlos was outstanding against Arsenal as he recorded a 92 per cent passing accuracy, recording 66 touches and attempting four long passes as Emery’s side managed to retain 48 per cent of the possession against the title challengers. [Sofascore]
On top of that, the Brazilian made two tackles, one block, one interception and one last-man tackle as his exceptional defensive display played a crucial role in keeping a clean sheet against the odds away from home.
Meanwhile, Torres failed to make a single tackle or interception in the Conference League clash as he was dribbled past once, winning just 50 per cent of his ground duels and only 33 per cent of his aerial duels as he struggled to keep up with the opposition forwards. [Sofascore]
Losing possession 11 times, albeit with a pass accuracy of 89 per cent over 120 minutes, is simply not good enough from the defender who also completed just five of 11 attempted long passes, needlessly giving away possession.
As impressive as Torres has been this season for Villa, he proved the weak point in the defence against Lille and could be dropped from the starting XI – even just to give him a rest after all of the football he has played – with Carlos coming in to replace him against Bournemouth.
In other Aston Villa news, Troy Deeney has continued his spat with Ollie Watkins.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.