Boubacar Kamara to be ‘difference maker’ in Aston Villa v Chelsea
Boubacar Kamara can play an important role in the clash against Chelsea on Sunday after he was deemed a “difference maker” for Aston Villa.
The 25-year-old has been plagued with injuries all season and suffered another setback in the 2-0 loss against Liverpool before the international break but has since returned to the side, starting the 0-0 draw against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday [27 November].
Matty Cash waxed lyrical about his teammate’s display in the Villa Park draw, as Birmingham Live relayed [30 November] and believes the Frenchman can be the “difference maker” for the Villans.
He said: “He has so much ability – natural ability – and he’s worked really hard to get back during the time when he’s been injured. Then he had a little hamstring. He’s not really trained. How well he played against Juventus when he’s not really trained, I think he’s brilliant.
“It’s the simplicity of his game, he keeps the ball and his interceptions are unbelievable. He manages to get his body in the way and then finds a pass. Yeah, he’s a key player for us when he’s fit.
“He’s a key player for us. When he was fit, he was a difference maker. He’s a very underrated player.”
Boubacar Kamara can help Aston Villa defeat Chelsea
Cash shared his brutal assessment of his teammates’ inability to “adapt” in Europe after dropping two vital points in the Champions League; however, he made sure to reserve his praise for Kamara.
However, Unai Emery could be tempted to rush Amadou Onana back into the side to face Chelsea – the Belgian is in contention to make the clash at Stamford Bridge after sustaining an injury on international duty.
While tempting, Emery should reward Kamara with the opportunity to build on his impressive Champions League outing.
The Frenchman never skipped a beat at Villa Park and demonstrated Aston Villa’s defensive resilience when he is on the pitch – he won 50 per cent of his ground duels and 100 per cent of his aerial duels on Wednesday [Sofascore].
Furthermore, he made two tackles and one interception and only gave away a single foul throughout his 78 minutes on the pitch.
In contrast, his midfield partner, Youri Tielemans, gave away three fouls and received a yellow card for his efforts.
Kamara proved equally essential in the attacking sense, completing 83 per cent of his passes with one key pass and completing 100 per cent of his long balls.
Chelsea are a formidable opponent, and the result of the clash in West London will provide an insight into the race for Champions League qualification, with only three points separating the sides.
Emery will undoubtedly face tough decisions when selecting his starting lineup for the clash, but the underlying numbers will make his midfield selection easier.
In other Aston Villa news, the Villans and Manchester United are eyeing a deal for Malik Tillman an update on his release clause emerges.
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