Unai Emery has new Pau Torres dilemma after what happened in Aston Villa win vs West Ham
Pau Torres’ injury has opened up a door of opportunity at Aston Villa.
Aston Villa secured a 3-2 win away to West Ham on Sunday, despite going behind twice in the game courtesy of goals from Matheus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen.
However, Morgan Rogers proved to be the difference for Villa, scoring twice from an xG of just 0.5 at the London Stadium.
However, the Villans were without Torres for the clash, and the Spaniard now faces an uphill battle to get back in the side.
Victor Lindelof showed exactly why he deserves to be in the team
Sunday’s clash against West Ham saw Victor Lindelof start for the first time in the Premier League since his move to Aston Villa, and he didn’t disappoint.
Via FotMob, the Swede completed 90 per cent of his attempted passes, created one chance, and even registered an assist.
However, his defensive numbers are the ones that do the talking, and they demonstrate why Torres’ return to the starting 11 may not be as nailed on as many would have assumed.
Lindelof won all but one of his five defensive duels, while also contributing with three clearances and one tackle against the Irons.
| Lindelof vs West Ham | Stat | Torres per 90 |
| 62 | Successful passes | 53 |
| 90% | Pass accuracy | 88.1% |
| 50% | Ground duel win rate | 56.5% |
| 100% | Aeiral duel win rate | 50% |
While Lindelof’s stats may be inflated given the lack of minutes, his dominance in the air is clear, and that is something that Torres has sometimes struggled with.
Unai Emery is clearly a big fan of Torres, but after such a strong display from Lindelof, he will now be in two minds as to how to deal with the Spaniard’s pending return.
What did Emery say about Lindelof’s performance?
Lindelof couldn’t have fared any better on his first Premier League start for Aston Villa, and given his experience in the top flight, it is something that many will have expected.
That includes Emery, who spoke highly of the Swede after their win against the Hammers at the weekend.
As quoted by Birmingham World, the Villa boss said: “We signed him for it. He showed his experience today. Playing in our structure, he was comfortable and calm with the ball in the build-up.
“It is not easy in the build-up on the left side when he is right-footed. He managed the passes we needed from him to the next players. He did fantastic.“
Villa’s next clash sees them host Man United, and Lindelof will be eager to show his former club what he is still capable of in the Premier League.
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