Aston Villa have plenty of incentive heading into this evening's clash against Liverpool as a win will guarantee them a place in the Champions League next season.
Along with the riches that come with qualification, Unai Emery will also be able to lure higher quality players to his side during the summer transfer window.
The Spaniard will be hoping for a much-improved display than what was on offer against Olympiacos last week as the club slumped to a 2-0 defeat.
A couple of players underperformed, most notably Moussa Diaby and his place in the starting XI could be at risk.
Moussa Diaby’s game in numbers vs Olympiacos
The Frenchman started on the left of a four-man midfield, yet really struggled to get going in a match which required a fast start from the visitors.
Not only did the winger fail to register a single shot during the match, but he also created zero big chances and made no key passes while succeeding with just 25% of his dribble attempts.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
29
Total shots
0
Possession lost
11
Via Sofascore
This lack of attacking enthusiasm was combined with a lacklustre approach defensively. Despite being on the pitch for just 58 minutes, Diaby managed to lose possession 11 times while winning just one of his five contested ground duels, showing how easily bullied off the ball he was.
The player to replace Moussa Diaby vs Liverpool
The 24-year-old was replaced by Jhon Duran and perhaps the Colombian deserves a chance in the starting XI against Jürgen Klopp’s men?
The prodigious talent has not exactly enjoyed the most fruitful of seasons, but this has been down to the incredible 27-goal haul from Ollie Watkins.
Emery tends to use the Englishman as a lone striker, resulting in Duran having to settle for a place on the bench.
Against Liverpool however, the Spaniard should opt for a 4-4-2, a formation he has used a few times this term. This could see Diaby dropped to the bench while Duran partners Watkins up top.
The 6 foot 1 “handful” – as so dubbed by Gary Neville in 2023 – has scored six goals in 35 appearances this season, which isn’t exactly prolific.
Factoring in how many starts he has had – nine in all competitions – it doesn’t look as bad, relying on opportunities off the bench, especially in the Premier League.
Despite averaging just 19 minutes per game in the top flight, Duran has netted three goals, succeeded with 40% of his dribble attempts and averaged 0.7 shots per game. Not outstanding stats by any stretch of the imagination, but if he could secure a place in the starting XI more often, they would no doubt increase.
He could certainly be a wildcard option for Emery to use against the Anfield side this evening. With Champions League qualification there for the taking, the Villa players will surely need no further incentive than to go out and win the match.
The Reds have won just two of their previous six Premier League games and this should give Emery plenty of hope heading into the clash.
