Aston Villa record signing, Moussa Diaby has suggested his side need to improve away from home if they want a Champions League spot.
Following Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, fans were left disappointed as a chance to move to third was spurned.
Despite the defeat, Unai Emery was not completely unhappy with the performance, the lack of goals killed the game.
With that being said, it has been picked up on that all of Villa’s losses this season have come away from home.
5-1 to Newcastle United, 3-0 to Liverpool and 2-0 to Forest, Villa have been pitiful away from home at times this season.
There have been some good showings, such as wins over Chelsea and Burnley but past that away form has been problematic.
What has Moussa Diaby said?
With the Villains sitting in fifth place in the Premier League, there is a realistic goal of Champions League football.
In saying that, some more points are going to be needed away from B6, no matter how good home form is.
Discussing that point with the Express and Star, Diaby said: “If we want to play for the Champions League, we have to be able to win any game – home or away.
“At home our play is good, away is more difficult but I think every team is like this.”
The home form under Unai Emery has been nothing short of remarkable which has really propelled Villa up the league.
In order to achieve a top-four place, this form needs to follow suit away from home.
Continuing on, Diaby added: “We have to find a solution to play well away from Villa Park. Then we can have a really good season because everyone knows how strong we are at home.
“Our problem is we’ve yet to show that form away from home so we must continue to work and improve our gameplan.”
Against Forest, the Villains kept 74% possession but by sitting in deep, Steve Cooper’s side were able to stop Emery’s men.
Emery’s side can be predictable at times, but on most occasions, they play past that and still win their games.
Moving forward, more rotation and an element of surprise in how they play may help cause an upturn in away form.
