Aston Villa man has nailed down his starting XI place vs Feyenoord after Fulham win
Aston Villa secured their first league win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
The Villans produced an impressive second-half display to secure all three points and climb out of the relegation zone in the early stages of the new Premier League campaign.
Aston Villa were slammed by Chris Sutton in the early stages of the game, with their former striker hugely critical of their defending for Raul Jimenez’s third-minute opener.
However, Unai Emery’s men battled back from their early deficit to secure an invaluable victory on home turf, and one particular star has surely established himself as the first name on the team sheet for their next outing.
Emi Buendia has to start for Aston Villa vs Feyenoord
Emi Buendia almost left Aston Villa in the summer, with Leeds United placing a loan offer for the midfielder in the latter stages of the transfer window.
The B6 outfit will certainly now be glad that they knocked back that approach from the newly-promoted side, given the performance that the Argentine produced on Sunday afternoon.
The 28-year-old was the heart of everything good about his side in the second half, and he had a crucial say in the outcome of the game after his introduction during the interval.
| Stats | Buendia Total |
| Goal Contributions | 2 |
| xG + xA | 0.51 |
| Key Passes | 1 |
| Accurate Passes | 19/23 (83%) |
| Tackles | 1 |
| Duels Won | 1 |
Buendia laid on the assist for John McGinn to put Villa ahead just three minutes after the break, before he netted a goal of his own just moments later.
He was a constant creative outlet throughout his 45-minute cameo, and that is exactly what Emery needed, given his side’s struggles in front of goal so far this term.
The former Norwich City star has had a mixed start to the campaign, but he has surely played his way into the team ahead of Harvey Elliott for Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Feyenoord.
It would certainly be harsh for Buendia to start the game on the bench once again after such a pivotal impact this weekend.
Unai Emery has to heap praise on Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins has been crucial to Aston Villa’s progression as both a team and a club in recent years, and he has had an uncharacteristically poor start to the season.
Nevertheless, the England international was back to his best in the win over Fulham, and the confidence should hopefully flow straight back into him after netting his first goal of the season.
Emery has to try and inflate the 29-year-old’s confidence even more in the coming days, as he will once again be integral to his team’s success moving forward.
Watkins has come under scrutiny for his struggles in recent weeks, but there is nobody better than him to lead the line for Villa, and it is important that his manager reminds him of that.
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