Andy Gray has named three Aston Villa players in his Team of the Week after their win over Leicester City.
Three Premier League games in for Unai Emery and there are six points on the board. A fairly strong start and it should have been better.
Aston Villa were unfortunate to lose to Arsenal, but they have done well not to let that affect them because that was a tricky match at the King Power Stadium.
Amadou Onana opened the scoring for Villa – once again – just like he did on the opening weekend of the season when the team delivered a well-worked set piece from the Austin MacPhee textbook.
It was a case of rinse and repeat because Jhon Duran came off the bench and scored another winner, but he didn’t make Andy Gray’s Team of the Week, as posted on beIN SPORTS.
Aston Villa‘s club-record transfer Onana did and he has made quite an outstanding start to life in the Midlands – up next in the Premier League are his former club Everton, who were 2-0 up at home to Bournemouth after 87 minutes, but they still proceeded to lose the game.
The next man to make Gray’s Team of the Week is left-back Lucas Digne, who provided the assist for Duran’s winner.
The 31-year-old has been brilliant for over a year now and has deservedly earned a recall to the French national team after a two-year absence.
Another international also made the TOTW – centre-back Ezri Konsa – Villa are yet to keep a clean sheet this term, but the England star’s game has been strong, alongside Pau Torres.
Amadou Onana, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne in the Team of the Week
Aston Villa rotation
After the international break, the games will really start to kick in, including Aston Villa beginning their Champions League campaign.
Naturally, Emery will begin to rotate his squad and players like Duran, Ross Barkley, Jacob Ramsey, Ian Maatsen and Emi Buendia – who haven’t started yet – will get their chance.
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Not forgetting that Diego Carlos, Matty Cash, Leon Bailey and Jaden Philogene should be back from injuries, alongside long-term absentees Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara.
If these squad players can come in and deliver, then it will seriously boost the team’s chances of balancing the Champions League and the Premier League.
