Journalist Dean Jones has noted that Aston Villa winger Moussa Diaby might be feeling “a bit frustrated” due to his recent limited playing time, shedding light on the type of mentality Unai Emery values in his squad at Villa Park.
Under Emery’s guidance, Villa are having an impressive season, aiming to clinch a spot in the 2024/25 Champions League by finishing in the top four of the Premier League.
Villa have successfully secured a spot in the last-16 of the Europa Conference League, positioning themselves as one of the contenders for Europe’s third-tier continental trophy. Although Diaby emerged as one of Villa’s key players during the early part of the season, his recent dip in form has led to a reduced role, relegating him to the substitutes bench.
After achieving a seventh-place finish in the Premier League and securing a spot in the Europa Conference League at the close of the 2022/23 season, Villa aimed to elevate their aspirations by strengthening their team.
Early in the 2023 summer transfer window, they made significant additions, including ex-Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans and Villarreal defender Pau Torres. Yet, the acquisition that stood out was Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, who joined for a club-record fee of nearly £52m, marking him as the highlight signing of the window.
In his last 15 Premier League matches, Diaby managed only one goal and one assist, while Bailey contributed eight goals and assists combined. Due to his disappointing performance, the Paris-born player has been benched in Villa’s recent three Premier League games, as Emery has shown no hesitation in making tough decisions.
Diaby will need to regain his form quickly and return to his peak performance level, especially with Villa set to resume their Europa Conference League campaign in March.
Dean Jones shed light on the situation speaking to GIVEMESPORT: “I’m sure Diaby is a bit impatient and a bit frustrated. But this is what comes with the territory at the moment at Aston Villa. Emery doesn’t want anyone in this team to feel like their place is safe. You’ve got to work your way back into that team.”
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