Many fans were left unimpressed by Aston Villa’s defensive performance in the 3-1 defeat against Newcastle United and pointed towards the absence of Pau Torres as being the major factor.
Newcastle condemned Aston Villa to their first defeat in 17 home matches on Tuesday night.
Unai Emery had turned Villa Park into a fortress but that was soon dismantled by the Magpies in what was a shock victory.
Eddie Howe’s side arrived into the fixture having registered the second-worst away record in the Premier League with only Sheffield United (2) taking fewer points than them.
It was therefore a surprise to see them deservedly take a 3-0 lead in the contest as Howe tactically outsmarted his opposite number in the dugout.
Villa were punished for their high line against the pace of Anthony Gordon and while they were continuously undone by a lofted ball over their defence, Emery refused to change their tactic and ultimately paid the price.
The Spaniard went with a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Clement Lenglet and Alex Moreno, but there was one player who was hugely missed, and that was Pau Torres.
Emery revealed that the 27-year-old, who has been hugely influential since his arrival, is sidelined till mid-February following his latest injury setback.
Torres is one of the major reasons why Emery can deploy such a high line. He’s great at stepping out of defence and nipping possession from attackers, he can also read the game superbly and is excellent in possession.
It’s those attributes that have been desperately missed and why Villa fans are saying his absence is what went wrong for their side last night.
Aston Villa fans have their say on Pau Torres
Although having Torres available for selection perhaps wouldn’t have altered the outcome of the match, the results Villa have taken since his absence are telling.
With him in the side, they have only lost three of their 18 Premier League matches, however, they have lost two of their four matches without him in the league and are yet to secure a victory.
After the game, many Villa fans flocked to give their verdict on the game and pinpointed not having Torres in the starting XI as a decisive factor.
Taking to X, one fan said: “We can’t play the way we do without Pau Torres.” Another supporter shared his verdict, “We need to battle stronger. Without Pau Torres we can’t keep playing out from the back like we do. Lenglet not good enough. Seen him enough to know Carlos is way better than him.”
A third added: “Too reliant on Pau now in the build-up. It’s not coincidental that since he’s been out we’ve been woeful.”
One fan stated: “Bad defending (missing Torres & Digne).”
