Boubacar Kamara injury blow leaves Unai Emery with easy Aston Villa decision
Aston Villa’s poor start to the Premier League campaign continued on Saturday as Unai Emery’s men fell to a defeat.
After playing out a goalless draw against Newcastle United, Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 by Brentford in a toothless performance.
Emery’s men lacked any urgency, speed or guile with their attacking play and only registered two shots on target across 90 minutes.
Micah Richards even highlighted his worries for Villa, who have been made to sell players before investing in their squad this summer.
But it isn’t just PSR causing Emery a headache, with Boubacar Kamara’s injury presenting another problem for the manager.
Morgan Rogers must play as a number 10 after Boubacar Kamara’s injury
Kamara was forced off the field in the 12th minute of the match with a suspected hamstring injury. The extent of it is yet to be confirmed but the Frenchman will be a huge loss if it is serious.
Emiliano Buendia replaced the 25-year-old but failed to stamp his mark on the side as he ended up being substituted for new signing Evann Guessand with a quarter of an hour to play.
Emery used Buendia as a number 10 and kept Morgan Rogers on the left flank, something that disrupted Villa’s rhythm in attack and saw the 23-year-old struggle.
Rogers was crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year earlier this week, but his performances in the first two matches have been disappointing.
Last season, the former Middlesbrough star developed a brilliant partnership with Ollie Watkins, and that is why for the clash against Crystal Palace he must return to his role as a number 10.
Indeed, Rogers playing in behind Watkins should also see Guessand come into the side on the left wing after looking lively from the bench, with Youri Tielemans deployed next to Amadou Onana as a double pivot.
Morgan Rogers must improve
Rogers has been linked with a move to Tottenham as they aim to find a replacement for James Maddison after his ACL injury.
Whether transfer speculation has impacted his attitude on the pitch is anyones guess but the Englishman must improve, or risk losing his place in the starting lineup.
| Morgan Rogers stats vs Brentford |
| 90 minutes played |
| 49 touches |
| 20/28 accurate passes (71%) |
| 3/9 successful dribbles |
| 4/11 ground duels won |
| Possession lost 21 times |
As a powerful and dynamic attacking midfielder, Rogers is at his best when he’s playing on the front foot and driving at defenders.
So far this season, Villa’s No.27 has been a shadow of his former self, which has been disappointing to see, with supporters undoubtedly hoping he redeems himself against Palace.
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