Unai Emery must make Pau Torres decision in Aston Villa v Crystal Palace after what he did
Pau Torres has been one of the best players at Aston Villa since Unai Emery took over the team in 2022.
The Spain international could arguably have decided to sign for other clubs before making his way to the Villans, who weren’t in the best of positions at the time.
Emery managed to work his magic and convinced the 27-year-old to embark on a journey to Birmingham, and the rest is history, as they say.
The Lions are now one of the best teams in the Premier League and have even lit up the European stage, beating Bayern Munich 1-0 on 2 October.
Torres has been instrumental to that success since signing in the summer of 2023, with the centre-back playing the full 90 minutes in all but one fixture in the current campaign.
While the 27-year-old has been consistent at the back, the 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League at Villa Park on 26 October indicated that the defender needs some much-needed rest.
Pau Torres needs to be rested in Aston Villa cup tie
Villa weren’t at their best against the Cherries and looked tired, with the 96th-minute equaliser from the visitors showcasing the lack of concentration from the team.
Torres had a rather timid display in the fixture, winning just 29 per cent of his aerial duels, winning zero tackles and having 60 per cent long pass accuracy, as per FotMob.
While the former Villarreal star did a little better in other metrics, with 92 per cent passing accuracy and making four clearances, he was clearly not his best.
With Diego Carlos making steady progress and Ezri Konsa coming back into the fold, Emery should use the round of 16 fixture in the EFL Cup on 30 October against Crystal Palace to hand Torres some respite.
Konsa won all five of his duels against the Cherries, showing he is more than ready to continue at the back despite his recent fitness issues.
Villa are challenging on all fronts this season, and playing multiple games a week will undoubtedly take a toll on the 27-year-old.
In other Aston Villa news, this player was back to his in the draw against Bournemouth.
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