Aston Villa forward Moussa Diaby is undergoing a difficult patch of form following his arrival in the summer, with the Frenchman now facing a challenge to get back into the starting XI.
Aston Villa welcomed five new faces in the summer, with Moussa Diaby marking the club’s most expensive purchase in history to reflect Unai Emery’s ambition.
Making the £51.9m move from Bayer Leverkusen was a statement for the Frenchman, who was rumoured to have generated a host of interest prior to choosing Villa due to his searing form in the Bundesliga.
After making a fast start to life in the Premier League, the 24-year-old quickly won over the hearts of those in the Midlands, dismissing any conversation that he may take a moment to adapt to the English game.
Unfortunately for the record signing, things have changed of late in terms of his position in the favoured XI, with his starting spot no longer guaranteed due to a significant drop in form.
Moussa Diaby is experiencing a dip in form at Aston Villa
Diaby made quite the impression by scoring on his debut against Newcastle United on what was a dreary day for the Villans at St James’ Park.
The former PSG winger displayed just why Villa broke the bank to sign him in his opening 10 games of the Premier League season, contributing to eight goals through netting three and providing five assists for his teammates.
Since the opening 10 fixtures, the France international has claimed just one goal and one assist in 15 appearances, highlighting just how much his electrifying start has halted.
As a result of his struggling form, Emery has named his record capture on the bench for the previous three games, seeing Youri Tielemans claim his spot in the starting XI.
Why Moussa Diaby must quickly rediscover his form
Currently, the £130k-a-week dynamo is experiencing his longest run without a goal contribution in the league since the 2019/20 Bundesliga season, with him currently equalling his goal and assists drought of five games.
With his game time now limited by the manager due to the rise in form of Tielemans, journalist Dean Jones explained to GIVEMESPORT that he expects Diaby to be feeling ‘frustrated’ and ‘impatient’ as he assumes his role as a substitute.
“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.”
Jones is right in his assessment of Emery’s desire to see his players earn their place in the lineup, just as the likes of Tielemans and Leon Bailey have in turning their seasons around by finding form.
The issue that Diaby now faces is the mission to secure his spot back in the starting lineup for the run of 13 games left in the 2023/24 campaign, with locking down his place in the pecking order imperative ahead of the summer.
In the instance that the Villans were to gain a spot in the Champions League, the manager would likely look to improve his squad in the window once more, something that could have a detrimental effect on Diaby if he remains a substitute for the foreseeable future.
It’s not the end of the world for the Frenchman who is very much still a valued member of Emery’s squad but there is no doubt that the player will be desperate to get back to the levels he knows he can produce at Villa Park.
