Aston Villa host Everton on Sunday as we look to bounce back from our defeat last weekend and put our first points of the season on the board.
It was a bitterly disappointing start to the new campaign on Tyneside last Saturday, as not only did the 5-1 defeat to Newcastle Utd prove to be a deflating experience, but significant injuries to Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings last week compounded our misery.
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Having had a chance to regroup this week and identify where we went wrong while striving to continue to improve, it’s hoped that the players have put that result behind us and are back in a positive frame of mind ahead of a big week.
While full focus will be on Everton for now, Villa will face Hibernian in the first leg of our Europa Conference League play-off round tie in midweek, and it’s imperative that we rediscover our confidence and form quickly to get back on track.
Given those injuries mentioned above, the Villa boss will be forced into one change at least on Sunday, and he has big decisions ahead as to who might come into his starting XI on this occasion.
Pau Torres to start, but what position? Philogene for Bailey?
Emiliano Martinez will continue between the posts, but Emery must now try and establish a settled backline in front of him given the absence of Mings for most, if not all, of this season.
With the versatility we have in the squad, it remains to be seen what he goes with, but a back-four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne could be his preference.
Speculation has been rife over Digne’s future at Villa this week, but based on his social media activity, it appears as though he’s still in his usual routine and isn’t on the brink of leaving as some might have suggested.
If he is available, that backline might be the preferred option especially at home. However, it’s also possible that Emery could shift Torres across to left-back, with Diego Carlos partnering Konsa in the middle instead given that’s a system and style that we tried a lot over pre-season.
That in turn will morph into a back-three in possession with Cash pushing forward, and so we’ll have to see which combination the Villa boss feels would be the most effective in this specific game against Everton.
In midfield, we’ll likely see Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara in the heart of the side, but Emery needs to make a decision on Leon Bailey, who was ineffective last time out and was replaced at half-time.
Moving John McGinn back to the right side of our midfield has to be the best option given he looks much more comfortable and influential there, and so does that open the door for Jaden Philogene to come in on the left?
If we can find a way for Youri Tielemans to work in that system then perhaps he would be the top choice, while Philippe Coutinho will be an option off the bench no doubt. It would certainly be a surprise if we saw Bailey start again though given his struggles, while new signing Nicolo Zaniolo is unlikely to be ready to make the squad yet.
Up front, given how impressive they looked with their combined threat in the final third at Newcastle, Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins will continue together, and it’s hoped that the pair can prove to be decisive in this one to lead us to an important win and get us off the mark.
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Everton: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Carlos, Torres; McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Philogene; Diaby, Watkins.
