The time could have arrived for Unai Emery to experiment with his Aston Villa starting XI after a period of struggle.
Aston Villa host Brentford in the Premier League after failing to win their previous eight matches in all competitions.
Most recently, Villa were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea as several of their problems were exposed, including Ollie Watkins lack of clinical edge and the performance of Morgan Rogers.
Rogers was poor against Chelsea, and for weeks now, the 22-year-old has failed to bring his usual attacking impetus, instead looking a shadow of his former self.
One reason why he’s looked off the boil is due to the volume of games he’s played without a rest, and now, Unai Emery has hinted at giving him one against Brentford.
Unai Emery hints at dropping Morgan Rogers for Emi Buendia vs Brentford
In an intense environment of elite-level football, Rogers has thrived, dazzling on the Champions League stage and becoming one of the Premier League’s finest young players.
The midfielder’s talent is unquestionable, but in recent weeks, tiredness and fatigue have impacted his performance and Emery has now recognised the drop-off.
Speaking ahead of the match on Wednesday night, the Spaniard claims he could drop Rogers for the rarely-seen Emi Buendia, as he hints about making the change.
“The next one is Emi Buendia. He is progressively getting better after being out for a long time injured. He is working every day. The process he is doing, he is close to being completely comfortable to play in everything,” Emery said via Birmingham Live.
“In case Morgan Rogers is getting or needing some change [rest], we have to try and use Emi Buendia and try to get from him the performances we need. We are trying it in the training sessions and we are giving him minutes in matches.
“We have ways to try and replace him [Rogers], but at the moment he can feel tired, but he has to rest and he has to sleep very well! He has to eat good food and he has to be ready.”
Buendia has played a total of just 34 minutes in the league since returning from his injury, finding opportunities hard to come by with the options ahead of him.
However, given how Villa have plummeted down the table, perhaps starting the Argentine is a genuine option against Brentford.
How Emi Buendia compares to Morgan Rogers
Buendia and Rogers are two completely different players. Buendia is a creative spark, capable of linking play exceptionally, while Rogers is a ball-carrying phenom, whose energy and explosive power carry Villa up the pitch.
Recently, Villa have struggled with quality in the final third, and Rogers has been guilty of losing the ball too easily.
In terms of keeping possession and offering greater footballing intelligence, Buendia is arguably better than his counterpart.
Since the Argentine missed the entirety of the last campaign through injury, comparing his 2022/23 Premier League statistics to Rogers in 2024/25 demonstrates he’s an improved creative force.
| Premier League statistics per 90 | Emi Buendia (2022/23) | Morgan Rogers (2024/25) |
| Shot-creating actions | 3.36 | 3.19 |
| Progressive passes | 5.15 | 3.01 |
| Pass completion | 77.2% | 74.3% |
| Passes into final third | 3.13 | 1.89 |
| Key passes | 1.53 | 1.46 |
As delineated by the above table, if Buendia can reach the levels of two seasons ago, there’s no question he can offer the intricate passing and quality that Villa have been missing centrally.
