Aston Villa face a significant test this afternoon as Unai Emery prepares to return to the Emirates to battle his former club, with one major Villa concern flagging ahead of the challenge against Arsenal.
It’s always a special occasion for Unai Emery to return to North London after spending 18 months in charge of Arsenal earlier in his career.
The Spaniard will return to the Emirates with Aston Villa this afternoon, in what is poised to be a blockbuster in the Premier League as both sides desperately hunt three points.
While the Gunners remain firmly in the title race, the Villans will be gunning to capitalise on Spurs’ defeat yesterday, with a result at Arsenal having the potential to send Villa back into the top four.
Considering the form of Mikel Arteta’s side of late, Villa will arrive at the Emirates as the underdogs however, in order to change such a narrative, Emery must resolve one key problem that has been traceable in recent weeks.
The issue that Aston Villa must now solve against Arsenal
While it’s been a brilliant season as a whole for Villa, the past few weeks have been less glamorous, having secured just one win from their previous five Premier League fixtures.
In that time, the Villans have conceded a concerning 12 league goals, three times the amount that Arsenal have conceded since the start of 2024.
Speaking on the 1874 podcast, journalists Jacob Tanswell and Dan Bardell had a lot to say about one “cause for concern” that Villa must address before their trip to the Emirates.
Starting the debate, Tanswell said:
“You saw the Brentford game, it all came through the same side, perhaps during that game, there could have been in-game tweaks.”
“The space between Konsa and Bailey was big, and that’s where Reguilon kept getting the success.”
“If you look at Lille’s disallowed goal, it was a back post cross from the other side, but it still ended up in the space between Konsa and Bailey too. There are themes, emerging trends defensively that are a cause for concern.”
Touching on the points made by Tanswell, presenter Bardell pinpointed the weaknesses of Ezri Konsa as being an area that has become more vulnerable in recent games.
“I’m looking at Konsa’s game and thinking he’s looking increasingly uncomfortable at right-back.”
“I don’t know if he’s wary of Carlos next to him and he’s maybe overcovering, getting too close to Carlos which is making him a bit slower at coming out and defending crosses like a traditional right-back should do, there’s something not quite right in that set-up.”
How can Unai Emery break Aston Villa’s concerning trend?
Fortunately for Emery, a resolution to the recent frailties at the back could come into play against Arsenal.
With Matty Cash and Clement Lenglet returning to training this week, the duo could solidify what the Spaniard needs to resolve in defence, particularly with Cash who is far better equipped to play at right-back than Konsa.
By shifting Konsa into central defence, Villa’s back four instantly becomes more structured, something that must happen against the Gunners, who have been particularly ruthless in the Premier League in 2024.
The post ‘Not quite right’: Emery warned of Aston Villa ‘cause for concern' ahead of Arsenal clash - journalist appeared first on Aston Villa News.