Unai Emery ‘has to axe’ Marco Asensio at HT in Aston Villa v Newcastle
Aston Villa go into halftime level with Newcastle United in a game that could be crucial in the race for the Champions League.
Ollie Watkins put Villa ahead almost instantly as his shot deflected off Fabian Schar and into the Newcastle net.
Schar made up for his mistake at the other end of the pitch, though, with a header through the legs of Emi Martinez to level things up at 1-1.
In a massive game, Emery has to be prepared to be brutal at half-time to ensure his side takes advantage of the Magpies in the second half.
Emery has to axe Marco Asensio v Newcastle
Emery’s winter transfer window brought several new options into Villa Park, providing depth in the squad.
Marco Asensio was one of those arrivals, and he has impressed during his time in the West Midlands so far from Paris Saint-Germain.
The PSG loanee has been on hand at the top end of the pitch to contribute goals and assists to Emery’s side’s efforts, in the quest for success.
However, of late, supporters inside Villa Park have felt as though the 29-year-old could be doing better, especially after missing two penalties against Southampton.
Asensio was guilty of another blunder in the first half against Newcastle, too, as he missed what should have been an easy opportunity to restore his side’s lead on home turf, giving him a zero per cent shot accuracy [FotMob].
In fact, with Watkins looking like a real threat on his return to the side, Asesnio has touched the ball just 23 times, highlighting how he is struggling to be part of the attack for Villa.
In addition to this, having had just two touches in the opposition box as well as a 33 per cent success rate for crosses, surely this is not proving to be the right game for him.
The Spaniard has not been strong enough in the game either, having not completed a single tackle against a Newcastle side that is looking feisty.
Asensio has lost the majority of his duels in the first half of the game and has been fouled twice, suggesting he is going to continue being muscled out of the game if he does not stand up.
Emery has to keep Champions League in mind
It has been an excellent season for Villa under Emery, and supporters won’t be keen to forget that.
However, after being knocked out of the Champions League against PSG, the West Midlands outfit have to continue to focus their minds on domestic action with plenty of work still to be done.
The FA Cup is still alive and kicking, although a Champions League finish for the second time in a row would provide a massive boost going into the summer transfer window.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost |
| Aston Villa | 33 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Newcastle United | 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 |
Therefore, beating Newcastle would prove to be a crucial result in the race for the top five places as the Geordies seem to be well on track to secure their position too.
Asensio has been terrific in Claret and Blue but this game is not proving to be one of his best. Emery must remember the aims of his side and be ruthless in the dressing room, making the appropriate changes to secure a massive result.