A much-changed Aston Villa side progressed into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 victory at Adams Park Stadium.
Unai Emery’s side entered the third round of the cup on Tuesday night and faced League One outfit Wycombe.
After an even first half, Emi Buendia fired the visitors in front 55 minutes in for his first goal in over a year.
Jhon Duran then doubled the lead from the penalty spot before Richard Kone netted a consultation in the dying minutes.
Now, reflecting on the result, Aston Villa News has listed three things we learnt from the game.
Emi Buendia could be a vital player for Unai Emery this season
After a long injury layoff, Buendia finally made his first Villa start in over 16 months for Emery’s side.
While Wycombe proved to be a stern test for the visitors, the Argetine’s quality shone through as he headed a looping ball into the net for the lead.
It was a dream comeback for Buendia who captained Villa as he returns to match sharpness.
As the season progresses, the attacking midfielder will no doubt improve as he gets into the flow of regular first-team football again.
This could be vital for Villa as they battle to stay competitive in four competitions, including the Champions League, and thankfully, Tuesday night’s showing proves Buendia has not lost his touch.
Read more: Aston Villa player ratings, including two 5/10s, vs Wycombe.
Jhon Duran needs a Premier League start
While Duran may not have hit the heights of his previous games, he did the job yet again.
Despite Wycombe piling on the pressure, Duran took the game into his own hands and barged into the opposition box to win a penalty.
Then, the Colombian remained cool and slotted the ball into the net to secure Villa’s spot in the fourth round.
It now means Duran has netted for Emery’s side four times this season, despite Tuesday night’s game being his first start.
When a striker is scoring on such a consistent basis, he simply has to start. While there are many players in Villa’s on form, the manager must work out how to fit him into the team.
Unai Emery proves that Aston Villa’s youth are capable
Many might have questioned how much Emery had rotated the side. Few first-teamers remained in the side, with the Spaniard rewarding full debuts to Kadan Young and Joe Gauci.
However, despite there being some nervy moments from the Villains, they saw the victory out.
With Villa facing so many games this season, Emery has proved that many of his young players are capable of stepping up when needed.
Going into the rest of the campaign, this could prove extremely beneficial, especially if the club go far in all three cups.
Hopefully, as the season progresses, the Villa Park faithful see more of their academy prospects in the first team.
