Emery must now unleash Aston Villa’s £130k-p/w “wildcard”

Aston Villa will meet Nottingham Forest in the Premier League this afternoon, trying to achieve back-to-back top-flight wins for the first time in 2024.

Villans gained a 2-1 win against Fulham last week, and Unai Emery hopes for another three points today, especially with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United chasing them for the final Champions League position.

Aston Villa Team News vs Nottingham Forest

Emery’s team will remain intact after their victory last weekend.

However, he still has a few players out due to long-term injury. Boubacar Kamara, Tyrone Mings, and Emi Buendia will most likely miss the remainder of the season.

The game this weekend comes too soon for Ezri Konsa, while Jhon Duran and Diego Carlos are also missing, but the Spaniard has no new injury concerns.

Despite last week’s success, the coach may make changes to his starting lineup, potentially including Moussa Diaby.

Moussa Diaby’s Season in Numbers

The 24-year-old only appeared on the bench against the Cottagers last week, but he might replace Jacob Ramsey, especially if Emery opts for a 4-2-3-1 system.

Despite Villa breaking their transfer record to sign him last summer, the former Bayer Leverkusen player has only made 12 goal contributions this season, including six goals and six assists.

The 5-foot-7 Frenchman has yet to establish himself as one of the first names on the team sheet, but a strong performance against Forest might boost his confidence.

Diaby is currently ranked fifth among teammates in the top flight for goals and assists (eight), second for shots on target per game (0.7), fourth for big chances created (eight), and fifth for successful dribbles per game (0.8), indicating his effective contribution across multiple metrics.

Emery has high hopes for Diaby, a £130k-per-week winger who one scout described as a “wildcard” with the ability to transform a game in a single instant.

There is no doubt that if he is in the mood, Diaby could terrorise the Forest defenders, and another three points may be critical in the race for fourth place in the Premier League.

The Frenchman has until May to improve his game and establish a spot in the starting lineup, and if he can reproduce his Bundesliga form over the next few months, Spurs and United may be afraid.

With European football starting in the coming weeks, the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet will have plenty of opportunities to impress, and he might even lead the club to its first major championship in 28 years.