Aston Villa put up a good fight but were ultimately beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday night.
It means that Unai Emery’s men have gone winless in their last five matches in all competitions, as goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah secured the victory for Liverpool.
While the scoreline perhaps reflects a comfortable display for the Reds, Aston Villa did have their moments in the match, including Amadou Onana’s header that produced a world-class save and a penalty shout on Pau Torres that was waved away in the second half.
That said, the match also had some negatives, with winger Jacob Ramsey suffering a hamstring injury that forced him off the pitch on the stroke of half-time.
Ramsey’s night being cut short wasn’t the only issue brought to light as Gabby Agbonlahor noticed another.
Gabby Agbonlahor on Aston Villa not replacing Moussa Diaby
For the most part, Emery executed his game plan well but one mistake they made – committing too many bodies forward for a corner – was punished.
However, once the Villans entered dangerous areas of the pitch, the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins were wasteful.
They just needed someone to produce a moment of individual quality to get them back in the game but that wasn’t forthcoming, as Agbonlahor highlighted Villa’s mistake of not replacing Moussa Diaby in the summer.
Despite only signing for a club record transfer in the summer of 2023, Diaby chose to jump ship this year, joining Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al-Ittihad.
For all of his critics last term, the Frenchman was an important player for Villa as he registered 19 goal involvements in all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League.
Agbonlahor is therefore right in saying that Aston Villa miss his attacking output, and although Jaden Philogene was essentially signed as a replacement from Hull City, he hasn’t done enough to fill the void.
How Diaby is getting on at Al-Ittihad
It came as a surprise to many when Diaby – despite being aged just 25 – decided to quit the allure of Champions League football for the Saudi Pro League.
Diaby would have been an invaluable asset for Emery in Europe’s elite competition but supporters were denied the chance to see him no doubt flourish.
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Instead, supporters of Al-Ittihad and the Saudi Pro League have been handed the luxury of watching the Frenchman tear the division apart with his creativity.
Remarkably, Diaby has produced 10 assists in as many matches this term but only scored once – the winning goal against Al-Qadsiah.
Al-Ittihad are currently keeping hot on the heels of league leaders Al-Hilal, who are one point and one place above them in the table.
Hopefully, Diaby can inspire his side to win the league title, as Villa fans are still wishing he was donning the claret and blue strip.
