Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery has opened up about Moussa Diaby and his decision not to start him in recent weeks.
It has been a great week for Aston Villa following their famous wins over Arsenal and Manchester City in back-to-back games.
It has been a superb campaign under Unai Emery so far which sees the Villans currently sit in third place in the Premier League.
The season as a whole has been quite superb with the Villans making a good start in the first half of the campaign.
There have been many standout performers from stars like Diego Carlos at the back to others like Leon Bailey going forward.
In recent weeks there have been some changes to the side which has helped to secure wins over the league’s elite. The club’s record signing has seen his game time limited such as been the form of his replacements.
What has Unai Emery said about Moussa Diaby?
It had been a superb start to the season for Moussa Diaby following his record move from Bayer Leverkusen. With that being said, his minutes on the pitch have lessened following a dip in his form.
Although his minutes have decreased, Emery has suggested that this has been due to tactical reasons as opposed to form.
Speaking to Birmingham World, he has opened up on that point. Discussing Diaby, he said: “Yes, it’s tactical because we were practising and trying to build the team with a different structure.
“We decided firstly in Bournemouth, second on Wednesday, and today repeated with one combination. Trying to get a good position on the pitch and trying to control the game and trying to be competitive.”
It must be said that his dropping out in place of Youri Tielemans for these fixtures in recent weeks has definitely helped. Having more control over the midfield and having the Frenchman as a substitute option has been effective.
Diaby came on against Arsenal at halftime and played his part as the Villans saw out their 1-0 lead and secured three points.
On the forwards appearance, Emery added: “After the match we played on Wednesday, it was normal to repeat the same XI. During the match today, I was watching and I had to be clinical to change my players. But I am very happy with Moussa. Today, his 45 minutes was fantastic.”
It is clear to see that the Villa boss rates his record signing and will see him feature more in upcoming fixtures. The form of Bailey has played its part but making the most of his squad has been just as important.
