Aston Villa confirmed XI v Southampton — Emery makes surprise Tyrone Mings call
Aston Villa have made four changes to their starting lineup for the Southampton clash.
Tyrone Mings had started in the 3-1 win over Brentford in the Villans’ previous match but is on the bench as Russell Martin’s team arrive in Birmingham.
Unai Emery has also dropped Ollie Watkins in favour of Jhon Duran as Villa Park hosts the Saints on Saturday [7 December] in the Premier League.
Mings was one of the biggest positives from the win over the Bees — with one pundit hailing the centre-back for his display.
The Spanish manager finally managed to get the Lions back on track against Thomas Frank’s side after failing to win their previous five matches.
Emery has now made a massive call regarding Mings, with Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos and Pau Torres at his disposal.
Unai Emery drops Tyrone Mings in Aston Villa v Southampton
The Lions have confirmed their lineup, and the former Sevilla head coach has opted to start with the partnership of Diego Carlos and Pau Torres in the backline.
It’s surprising to see Mings being dropped from the Aston Villa team, considering his performance in the previous match and the struggles of Torres in recent weeks.
Matty Cash also drops to the bench, with Ezri Konsa shiting to the right-hand side of the defence, and Ian Maatsen has replaced Lucas Digne.
Emery is taking a big gamble, and with the unpredictability of the Premier League, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Southampton snatch a result at Villa Park.
The Saints are bottom of the league table, having picked up just five points so far, but they could still pose a massive threat to the Villans.
While the three points will be huge for Martin’s team in their bid to avoid relegation, the Lions also need a win to get back into contention for the Champions League spots.
In other Aston Villa news, a deal for Nicolo Fagioli could be struck as an update has emerged from Juventus.
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