Aston Villa beat Athletic Bilbao 3-2 in their penultimate pre-season friendly of the summer, a match that saw one player shine.
Unai Emery will have a lot of positives to take from Aston Villa’s win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night.
Following the concerning performances during the squad’s pre-season tour of the United States, a far higher level of play was seen against the Spanish outfit at the Bescot Stadium.
Goals from Jacob Ramsey, Jaden Philogene and Cameron Archer sealed the victory, with one player’s bright display now giving Emery something to think about.
Lucas Digne impressed in Aston Villa’s win over Athletic Bilbao
From the three well-taken goals to some marvellous performances all over the pitch, Emery now has another dilemma to tend to.
Lucas Digne started at left-back and was superb in his approach to play, which could prompt the manager to start him on the opening day against West Ham.
His ability to bomb forward with intent, fused with how well he combined with Ramsey, forced attention to be frequently on the Frenchman.
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Added to that, the 31-year-old looked composed and organised defensively, which was an area he was criticised in throughout last term.
In the first half, a lot of Villa’s positivity going forward came through Digne and Ramsey, whose chemistry was telling as they carved Athletic open with some bright passages of progressive play.
The second half was no different for Digne even when Ramsey was hauled off, as his work to win the ball was the starting point for Philogene’s goal.
What does Digne’s performance mean for Unai Emery?
Admittedly, Digne’s performance came as a surprise to many following the events that unfolded earlier in the day on Wednesday.
Before the game, Digne denied links to Galatasaray on social media, taking to X to correct a journalist’s initial claims.
To come out and perform the way he did was impressive and only reinforced how valuable the Frenchman’s experience and professionalism could be to Emery’s squad for the season ahead.
While Emery will be delighted with how the 31-year-old conducted himself against Athletic, the manager will also have a slight headache over selection ahead of the opening day.
The £25m 2022 arrival gave Ian Maatsen a run for his money on Wednesday night, as the youngster’s display was far below the level of his rival’s at left-back.
While Maatsen needs time to adapt, Emery could be tempted to start Digne against West Ham, with his performance at the Bescot Stadium speaking volumes.
