Unai Emery has deadly duo on his hands at Aston Villa as Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins double-figure link-up emerges

It was clear that Aston Villa manager Unai Emery needed to bring in a new face to help Ollie Watkins in the final third.

The striker is more than capable of winning games on his own, as he has shown time and again for the Midlands club, but a helping hand would allow him to take things to the next level.

And that is exactly what the arrival of star man Moussa Diaby has done, with the winger joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old has wasted no time in getting used to life in England, with Diaby already registering three goals and three assists for Villa.

But of course the attacker is much more than just that, with Diaby forming a very strong connection with striker Watkins.

As per Opta Analyst (16 November), the former has created 11 chances for the latter in the Premier League this season, resulting in one goal, with Watkins also returning the favour for one goal.

The duo have combined for 18 chances in total, with that figure second only to Liverpool pair Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, who have managed 19.

Opta Analyst added that on average, the Villa attackers “team up for a shot once every 52 minutes, which, among pairs to feature for at least 250 minutes, is the third most frequent.”

And it isn’t just Watkins that Diaby is forging a strong partnership with, with the summer signing also making a connection with fellow winger Leon Bailey, with the pair having both assisted the other once.

In other Aston Villa news, the Midlands club made a superb transfer call as a new 88% player produces a leading statistic.