Aston Villa lost to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday afternoon in their final pre-season friendly before the Premier League restarts.
Unai Emery has a lot to take from Aston Villa’s pre-season schedule as his side suffered four losses from seven friendlies this summer.
Pre-season is a time for trial and error, with the boss now better equipped to learn what his squad require before the competitive action restarts.
On Saturday, Villa lost their final friendly of the summer against Borussia Dortmund, a fixture that saw one theme continue ahead of the Premier League opener versus West Ham.
Aston Villa’s defending against Borussia Dortmund was a major concern
The test at Signal Iduna Park gave Villa an insight into the test that Champions League clubs will provide in the coming season.
Against the 2023/24 Champions League finalists, Emery saw his side crumble in defence, with the narrative of the game stolen by Villa’s frailties at the back.
The centre-back pairing of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa had a rare afternoon to forget, as Konsa conceded a penalty and Torres put on another alarming pre-season display.
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Villa’s final pre-season challenge was lost by lapses of concentration in defence, giving Emery an insight into where his side must improve if they are to start the Premier League season strongly.
While the manager has a lot of issues to resolve before next week, the Spaniard will have some encouragement from the return of Tyrone Mings, who can help to ease a lot of anxiety in the squad.
Unai Emery will be delighted to have Tyrone Mings back after Dortmund errors
After a year away from the action, Mings is set to return to training at Bodymoor Heath in the coming weeks following a gruelling time recovering from an ACL injury.
The Englishman’s presence in defence has been sorely missed despite Villa’s successes last season in his absence.
Against Borussia Dortmund, Emery will have been more encouraged than ever to know that Mings is nearing a return after seeing the ‘mistakes’ his side made, as noted by journalist John Townley.
As seen against the German outfit, Villa desperately lacked an experienced and vocal leader in defence, with both of Konsa’s and Torres’ errors avoidable with sufficient communication.
Mings not only brings a strong aerial presence and an imposing stature to defence but is also arguably Villa’s best leader on the pitch, something that Emery’s side will be replenished with soon.
Villa must move on from the Dortmund defeat quickly, as West Ham await the Midlands club at the London Stadium on the opening day.
