When Pau Torres was named in Aston Villa’s line-up for the trip to Fulham last week, the whole fanbase breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally, one of Unai Emery’s most crucial players had returned after a number of months out, and just in time given the blip in form.
And surprise, surprise, Aston Villa secured a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage, with Pau Torres playing a key role, including building up the attack for what proved to be Ollie Watkins’ winner.
Alan Shearer named the 27-year-old in his Team of the Week and said what every fan has been thinking about the ball-playing defender.
‘Villa are a better team with him in it,” shouted Shearer from the rooftops, as he told the Premier League.
The legendary striker added ‘That was proved again with a commanding performance in the win at Fulham’.
The true value of a player is only noticed once he is out of the team and the months Pau Torres spent on the sidelines resulted in fans realising just how important he is to the team.
Those two defeats to Newcastle United and Chelsea at home were deserved, but one big issue was the team’s inability to play out from the back.
If Pau Torres was on his pitch, given his ability to draw players to him, progress the ball and ping passes to the channel, then the team probably would have faired better.
Winning again at home
It’s amazing, you win 15 games in a row at home, then you lose three on the bounce and forget what that winning feeling is like.
As John McGinn has mentioned ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest, we have to get back on the horse and start putting up maximum points again.
The race for Champions League football is going to go down the wire and games. like the one against Forest, are ones we should win in our sleep.
Especially with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool coming up, it’s paramount we win these, or else, we can say goodbye to Champions League football.
