Villa hasn’t lost back-to-back games this season, so the travelling supporters should be feeling confident heading to West London. The team didn’t play poorly against Manchester United; according to FootMob, they had more possession and created an xG (expected goals) of 2.43 against 1.79. They also had seven more shots and five more on target than Erik ten Hag. If the game had been played on a different day, the outcome could have been very different. Still, Villa’s performance level is very high, so anything less than three points on Saturday will disappoint.
Pau Torres, who signed a contract for £33 million, might make his debut in 2024.
The Spaniard has been out with an ankle injury, but he might be back for Villa’s match against Marco Silva’s team, according to The Express and Star.
Emery will be happy to be back, as his team has been decimated by injuries lately.
Boubacar Kamara, a key midfield player, went down during the Manchester United match and is gone for the season with an ACL injury.
Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa, the defensive tandem, are also out.The Brazilian injured his hamstring during practice, and Konsa damaged his knee in the team’s 5-0 victory over Sheffield United.
Tyrone Mings’ return to training following his knee injury sustained in Villa’s opening match of the 2023–24 season is a huge plus.
Villa’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League may still be alive if Mings is able to rejoin Torres.
But Emery could have to ask Calum Chambers to accompany him to West London. With just one start this season, the former Arsenal defender has been forgotten at Villa Park.
The 29-year-old was informed that he may leave the team in the last days of the January transfer window, but he could now be extremely important in the coming weeks.
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