Summary Aston Villa holds onto Europa Conference League hopes with a hard-fought draw in Amsterdam. Moussa Diaby's disappointing performance against Ajax may pave the way for Leon Bailey's inclusion. Emery may need to make tough decisions and replace Diaby with Bailey for the upcoming clash against Tottenham.
Aston Villa battled hard in Amsterdam last night to secure a 0-0 draw that very much keeps their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League alive.
Unai Emery made a few changes to his starting XI, which included young midfielder Tim Iroegbunam being unleashed alongside Douglas Luiz in a 4-4-2 system.
Ezri Konsa will miss the second leg after being dismissed towards the end of the game, but a stalemate is not a bad result considering they were down to ten men.
Several players failed to deliver a performance that merited their selection in the starting XI, with Moussa Diaby a notable example.
Moussa Diaby’s game in numbers vs Ajax
The former Bayer Leverkusen winger has struggled for game time in recent weeks under Emery, often used as a substitute, but against Ajax, he was given his first start since the 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United back in January.
Following a positive cameo against Luton Town last weekend – providing the assist for Lucas Digne’s winner – it looked the ideal chance for the 24-year-old whiz to showcase his talents from the first whistle.
Unfortunately, his performance was way below par. Indeed, not only did the winger take just 21 touches during his time on the field, but Diaby completed only 7 of his 12 attempted passes (58%), indicating that he was not as involved as Emery would have liked.
The Frenchman did have a shot on target and made one key pass, yet he won just one ground duel and lost possession ten times in what was a poor display overall.
This was meant to be his opportunity to shine, but it looks as though Emery will have replace the liability for this weekend's clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Leon Bailey could replace Moussa Diaby
The obvious replacement on the right side of the midfield would be Leon Bailey, as the Jamaican international has been in stunning form this season.
Not only has he found the back of the net on 11 occasions, but the winger has registered 11 assists too, and he is enjoying his most profitable season in the Midlands since joining in 2021.
Bailey came off the bench to replace Morgan Rogers against Ajax and looked lively during his 27-minute cameo appearance, having two shots blocked, delivering one accurate cross, winning two of his four total duels, and making an interception.
Villa have won their previous three Premier League matches and the chance to secure three points against a Spurs side who are also challenging for the final Champions League spot could see Emery mix things up on Sunday.
Key passes
1
Shots on target
1
Dribble attempts (successful)
4(3)
Possession lost
8
Touches
28
Via Sofascore
The Midlands side secured a 2-1 win when the teams last met back in November and another performance like that would see them extend their advantage to eight points with just ten games remaining.
Due to the sharp turnaround between matches, the Spaniard should make a change or two to his side, with Diaby being the player most in danger of being dropped.
Bailey is arguably a better alternative, especially with his form this season, and he could lead the side to another victory over Spurs this weekend, which is why Emery must brutally ditch the former Bundesliga star for this clash.