Diego Carlos has claimed that Arsenal “don’t scare” Aston Villa after recording a special 1-0 victory over Manchester City on Wednesday night.
Carlos has had to wait for opportunities to impress at Aston Villa since arriving at the start of last season.
The 30-year-old has suffered a horrendous time with injuries but upon making just his eighth start in claret and blue, he certainly would have impressed Unai Emery.
Alongside the colossal presence of Pau Torres, the destructive duo managed to keep a lid on Erling Haaland, which is probably the hardest job in world football.
They limited the Norwegian and City to just two shots across the entire match – a record low for a Pep Guardiola side – and that just demonstrates how impressive the Brazilian was on the night.
Having kept the likes of Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez and Haaland quiet, Carlos has warned Arsenal – their opponents on Saturday evening – that Villa fear no one.
What Diego Carlos said after the Manchester City victory
He said: “That performance against Manchester City was very, very good. There’s confidence in us and, as players, we aren’t scared. The gaffer wants every player to have confidence with the ball and their position.
“We are a good team. From the first day he arrived, Unai improved both the team and us players. Now, we’re in a good position in the table, but our season is not finished. There are still a lot of games to play.
“It’s important to stay grounded and humble. For me, this is most important. We respect every team we play against – but we aren’t scared of them.”
After paying an ode to their transformation under Emery, Carlos has an opportunity to showcase his defensive talents against the Gunners.
Diego Carlos deserves a long run in Aston Villa’s starting XI
After snapping his Achilles tendon at the start of last season and going through the most challenging period of his career, the former Sevilla stalwart can now show Emery what Villa have been missing.
Once described by former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves as “the most underrated centre-back in European football”, Carlos possesses the pedigree to lead Emery to glory this season.
A physically imposing presence, who can use his strength to bully his opponents and progress play from defence, the £100k-a-week titan is finally showing glimpses of the quality that helped the Spanish side win the Europa League in the 2019/20 campaign.
In his performance against Man City, not only did he pocket Haaland, but he also showed his class as a ball-playing defender, recorded eight accurate long balls and a 90% pass completion, as per Sofascore.
Unai Emery’s system, like many in the modern game, require centre-backs to be comfortable in possession and the Brazilian is certainly that.
When they take on Arsenal on Saturday, he’ll be aiming to nullify his fellow countryman, Gabriel Jesus, and help inspire his side to a statement victory.
