Emery has easy decision on exit-linked Aston Villa star – Three things learned v Roma
Aston Villa put in one of their most impressive displays of pre-season so far as they dismantled Roma 4-0 on Wednesday (6 August).
The Villans haven’t had it easy at times during their summer preparations, but they breezed past their Italian visitors with unexpected ease at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium.
Goals from Emi Buenda, Jacob Ramsey, Ollie Watkins and Donyell Malen saw the Villans build a comfortable lead in a stunning first-half performance, as Unai Emery’s side strolled to a routine win.
The Spanish boss will be delighted to see things begin to fall into place in the latter stages of pre-season, and with that in mind, Villa News picks out three things we learned from the game.
Emery can’t sell Emi Buendia as star proves worth to Aston Villa
Buendia has been linked with a move away from Aston Villa at various stages of the summer, but he proved his worth once again in the win over Roma.
The Argentine spent the second half of last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen, but he may have just handed Emery a simple decision with his latest pre-season display.
- Buendia played just 12 Premier League games for Villa last season before his loan
- His only goal for Villa last season came against Wycombe in the EFL Cup
- He notched a goal and an assist in an excellent performance v Roma
The midfielder reminded everyone what he is capable of with a stunning early free-kick that dipped over the wall and gave the Villans the lead, before he later delivered a perfect cross for Ollie Watkins to head home the third.
In the context of the B6 outfit’s summer, a player like Buendia could easily become a key option moving forward, as they lack the ability to spend big to strengthen.
He was excellent in the win on Wednesday (6 August), and should become a central part of Emery’s plans this term.
Youri Tielemans still holds Villa key
Tielemans was one of the standout performers for Aston Villa last term, and there is no sign of him dropping his levels at all as we near the start of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Belgian was only on the pitch for 45 minutes, but he showcased his superb vision to deliver a sumptuous pass for Jacob Ramsey to net the second goal, and his confidence on the ball was clear to see from start to finish.
| Stats | Total | Game Rank (Villa only) |
| Minutes | 46 | – |
| Touches | 33 | 3rd |
| Big Chances Created | 1 | =1st |
| Successful Passes | 26 | 2nd |
| Accurate Forward Zone Passes | 15 | 1st |
| Duels Won | 2 | =6th |
The midfielder is deceptive when he receives the ball, and extremely hard to dispossess, something which was proven when he effortlessly dropped his shoulder to beat a man on the edge of his own box.
Tielemans is a Rolls-Royce in the middle of the park for Emery’s charges, and his distribution and intelligence look likely to hold the key to their rapid breaks up the pitch again this term.
Transfer difficulties will pose little issue for Villa
Much has been made of Villa’s issues surrounding their PSR standing and the difficulties they have faced in the transfer market this summer.
However, it was highlighted in the Roma clash that Emery’s side still possess all the characteristics of a very dangerous Premier League side.
Admittedly, pre-season games are never the most telling when it comes to scorelines, but the ease with which the second city outfit dispatched a team who finished fifth in Serie A last time out can only be a positive sign.
The Villans may not have been able to add much to their squad this summer, but they are still stacked with quality in all areas, and that should be enough to see them compete on all fronts this season.
Their visitors in Walsall will also be playing in the Europa League this term, and Villa must be confident of going all the way in the competition, having already measured up well against a likely rival.
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