It was a near-perfect Saturday for Unai Emery as he saw his Aston Villa side pick up three valuable points against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Ollie Watkins was at the double to register his twelfth and thirteenth goals of the campaign.
The win lifts Aston Villa back into the Champions League places after Tottenham suffered a damaging home loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Emery has had to contend with several injuries during the campaign and was forced to rejig his defence after Diego Carlos sustained a hamstring injury in training.
Pau Torres was given his first start of 2024 and impressed alongside Clement Lenglet. The Frenchman’s performances since the turn of the year deserve immense credit.
The Birmingham Mail claims Carlos is unlikely to feature until March, and when the 30-year-old returns, he could face a battle to get back into the starting XI.
Lenglet and Torres impress in Aston Villa 2-1 win v Fulham
Another player currently sidelined is Ezri Konsa, and the 26-year-old was full of praise for Lenglet after his performance at Craven Cottage.
Ezri Konsa took to Instagram on 17 February to label the defender’s performance “solid”.
Matty Cash was also pleased with the 28-year-old’s impact in West London.
“You look at Clem Lenglet, who has come in today and played right-sided centre half,” he told Birmingham Live.
“He was brilliant, and it just shows we are ready to play wherever we are, ready to fight and are ready to win.
“There is always a little bit of panic when we drop off [out the top four]. Then you get back into the top four, and I am sure all the Villa fans will be happy.”
Big-money signing Torres also impressed. If the duo can stay fit, Villa have an excellent chance of capturing a top-four berth.
The 27-year-old’s return to action will also make life difficult for Carlos.
Can Diego Carlos break back into contention?
The £26million signing will face a battle to win his place back between now and the end of the season.
The Brazilian has to recover, regain fitness, and prove that he’s at a level to compete with Villa’s current central defensive duo.
It’s a good problem for Emery to contend with. Carlos and Konsa’s return provides the Spaniard with competition for places, which every manager wants.
