Following a run of recent quiet performances, Moussa Diaby should be dropped to the bench, by Unai Emery, against Manchester United.
Approaching the halfway point of the season, Aston Villa find themselves sitting in third place in the Premier League. At the time of writing, they sit level with second place and are just a point behind Arsenal in top spot.
Under the management of Unai Emery, the Villans have gone from strength to strength and look like getting a Champions League spot.
With wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in the past few weeks, Villa have shown their credentials as a top side. This Boxing Day they travel to face a struggling Manchester United side as they look to potentially go top.
As Villa line up at Old Trafford, one star should be dropped in favour of being utilised from the bench later in the game.
Why Moussa Diaby should be dropped
It is safe to say since his £55m move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, Diaby has been one of Villa’s best players. This has seen him labelled by Emery as ‘fantastic‘ following his seven-goal involvements in 15 starts.
He has proved on multiple occasions to be worth the £130k-a-week that Villa were set back when signing him. The quality that he has shown, especially earlier in the season, has added something to the squad. Diaby has brought out the best in Leon Bailey who has been superb this season, to say the least.
Looking at his goals against Newcastle United, Burnley and Luton Town, the quality that he possesses is clear for all to see. With that being said, he hasn’t shown his full ability in recent weeks which has left Villa fans frustrated.
Looking at his performance against Sheffield United, he was only worthy of a 6.5 FotMob rating. Despite having completed the most dribbles in the game, he failed to create a chance and had just one shot on target. Given the quality or lack of, the opposition possessed fans were expecting better.
We suggest that he should come off the bench against Manchester United and be an impact player against a weary defence. Doing so against Bournemouth, he came on and grabbed an assist to level the game.
Diaby has been one of Villa’s best players and he obviously has plenty of quality. He needs an opportunity to have an impact on games off the bench and build some confidence.
