After Unai Emery finally got one over on Pep Guardiola on Wednesday night, there can’t be too many people left that don’t believe that the Spaniard is exactly the right man for the manager’s job at Villa Park.
The 1-0 win over Man City put Aston Villa into third place ahead of City and just a few points behind Liverpool and leaders Arsenal, the latter of whom they play in their next Premier League fixture.
One glaring omission from Emery’s starting XI was summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, Moussa Diaby.
The player didn’t play against Bournemouth either, and that’s led to former Villa man, Alan Hutton, suggesting that there could be a problem between player and manager.
“Obviously, he (Emery) will know better,” he said to Villa News.
“I would not drop him (Diaby) , what he gives you, he is outstanding. You see him in the European game, his goals, the ball through and him cutting in from the right to the left, he has that in abundance.
“Whenever he gets on the ball, you feel something is going to happen, maybe there is something else to it, maybe there is something more that the manager wants that he’s not doing. Therefore, he doesn’t start.”
Whether Hutton is right or completely wide of the mark, the fact is that Unai Emery is well known for demanding the absolute maximum from his players in every game.
If he perceives that someone isn’t trying, there’s no favouritism. He’ll go with those players that are willing to put their bodies on the line for the cause.
Perhaps the Spaniard feels as if he’s not getting that just at the moment from Diaby, and for all of his skills in an attacking sense, if he isn’t working for the team then he’s no good to Emery.
I think Bailey has found form everythin he touches he produces latley