Tammy Abraham has to get Unai Emery nod for Wolves vs Aston Villa – here’s why
Aston Villa are looking to take their Leeds United frustrations out on Midlands rivals Wolves.
Unai Emery‘s side were able to salvage a 1-1 draw against Leeds last Saturday, in what was a hugely frustrating afternoon at Villa Park.
Anton Stach’s wonderful free-kick just after the half hour mark gave Leeds a deserved lead, one which they defiantly protected right up until the 88th minute, when Tammy Abraham bundled in the equaliser.
Aston Villa had monopolised the ball in the second half, and the match in general, recording a 67 per cent possession number from the game and registering 16 shots on goal, but were made to settle for a point.
The Villans are now realistically out of the Premier League title race, as they sit 10 points behind current leaders Arsenal, with the focus now turning towards solidifying their position in the top four.
Tammy Abraham should start for Villa against Wolves
Wolves present an intriguing challenge for Villa on Friday night, with the odds firmly in favour of Emery’s side emerging with a win.
However, this also has the feel of a banana skin game if Villa aren’t careful, as Arsenal found out at Molineux last Wednesday night when they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2.
Rob Edwards’ side may be destined for the Championship, but they are still scrapping away, with Crystal Palace only managing to scrape a 1-0 win in the 90th minute with a man advantage over Wanderers last time out.
And with it being a derby game too, Emery shouldn’t view this as a chance to experiment with his team selection, rather, he must go with those in-form and players he trusts.
Abraham certainly falls into the former of those two categories, as he continues to work on the latter with Emery, but the 28-year-old now has two goals from his last two games.
He’s making the most of his opportunities back at Villa Park so far since signing from Besiktas this winter, and as per Sofascore, he’s averaging just 32 minutes of Premier League football per game this term.
However, he’s posting a good 25 per cent goal conversion rate, has won 100 per cent of his ground duels and hasn’t even been caught offside yet.
But it’s his record against Wolves that should really catch Emery’s eye, as in six career appearances against them, he’s found the net six times.
Three of those came in four Premier League outings against Wanderers with Chelsea, whilst the other three arrived as a Bristol City player in the 2016-17 Championship season respectively.
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Emery has tough Ollie Watkins/Abraham call to make
Abraham is certainly showing that he’s got the quality to spearhead Villa’s attack moving forward, and looks to be so much more than just a warm reunion signing.
However, his performances paired with the downturn in production from Ollie Watkins presents a double-edged problem for Emery, as one the one hand he’s got a striker in-form, and the other, a proven goalscorer who isn’t at his best.
Now 30, Watkins has scored just eight Premier League goals this term, a tally which he doubled last season, and is without a goal in five-straight games in all competitions.
But, he did look sharp against Leeds without finding the net, and so Emery has a fascinating decision on his hands for Friday night as to who leads the line in this Midlands derby.
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