Aston Villa displayed a statement of intent on the weekend by coming back to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Premier League and the result moves them into the top four and just two points off the summit.
Unai Emery has sparked a stunning turnaround just over 12 months into the job and the next step for the club will be to claim their first major trophy since 1996.
The display against Spurs showed just how gritty this Villa side are, refusing to give up and they got their due reward. Of course, Spurs were decimated by injury problems, yet this didn't deter Emery’s men from once again putting in a solid display.
Ollie Watkins is continuing his wonderful form under the Spaniard and his winner on the weekend was his 12th goal of an already productive campaign and the former Brentford man has emerged as an integral part of Emery’s squad.
Not everyone was at their fluent best against Ange Postecoglou’s side, however, Moussa Diaby struggled to get involved as he was deployed alongside Watkins in a centre-forward role, while it was Matty Cash who was arguably the poorest Villa player on the day.
Matty Cash’s game vs Spurs in numbers
The defender was pushed slightly further forward than he was used to, operating on the right side of a four-man midfield, but it was a change which didn’t benefit him against Spurs.
The right back was only on the field of play for the first half and during that time, he took just 20 touches, completed nine of his 13 attempted passes and missed a big chance.
Cash also lost possession six times along with winning just three duels during his 45 minutes on the pitch, and it culminated in him receiving a yellow card for a challenge on Rodrigo Bentancur after just half an hour played.
It was later revealed that the midfielder could face another spell on the sidelines, despite just returning from a nine-month absence.
This summarised just how poor Cash was on the right side of the midfield and a change has to be made ahead of the tie against Legia Warsaw on Thursday.
Matty Cash’s season in numbers
Cash has started all of Villa’s Premier League matches this term, yet he has made just one start in the Europa Conference League group stages.
He does have five goal contributions – three goals and two assists – while also ranking fifth across the squad for big chances created (three) in the top flight, along with ranking third for shots on target per game (0.8) and for tackles per game (2.2) which clearly indicates he has impressed in a few different metrics.
His display against Spurs could give Emery a choice to make, however, as avoiding defeat against the Polish side will be enough to send them through to the knockout stages of the Conference League.
With much on the line, the former Arsenal boss may drop Cash to the bench and go for a more attacking lineup, which will include winger Leon Bailey being unleashed in the starting XI.
How much Aston Villa signed Leon Bailey for
The Jamaican international joined the Midlands outfit in the summer of 2021 for a fee of £25m from Bayer Leverkusen and it looked like a shrewd move indeed.
The winger had scored 39 goals and registered a further 26 assists during his spell in Germany and this was clearly enough for Dean Smith to splash the cash.
It didn’t take him long to hit the ground running as he was dubbed “electric” by journalist Matt Maher during his first few weeks at the club, and it looked as though Smith had made a solid investment.
His first season didn’t quite turn out as expected, however, scoring only once in 18 appearances and while his second full term in the Midlands promised slightly more (nine goal contributions), it was clear that the winger had yet to reach the hype.
Under Emery this term, Bailey has been outstanding and finally looks worth the £25m that the club paid for him just over two years ago.
Leon Bailey’s season in numbers
The 26-year-old has already surpassed his best goal tally at the club this term, and it isn’t even Christmas yet, as Emery has clearly lit a fire under him.
Across just 18 matches in all competitions during 2023/24, Bailey has scored six times along with grabbing six assists, contributing effectively from the right wing.
He has started all of Villa’s six European matches so far this season and with his displays on the continent, it makes sense for Emery to unleash him once again, knowing a win or draw secures progress to the next round.
Indeed, the right-winger currently ranks second in the whole squad for shots per game (2.3) along with ranking first for big chances created (two) and key passes per game (1.8), which demonstrates his ability on the continental stage.
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2.3
1.3
3.5
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During the tie against Spurs, the former Bundesliga winger came on for the second half in place of Cash and proved to be more effective on the right-hand side compared to the defender.
As for the second 45 minutes, he made one key pass while succeeding with three of his four dribble attempts, took three shots in total and even hit the woodwork.
It was a fine performance and this should make up Emery’s mind with regard to who he should be deploying on the right ahead of the tie against Legia.
Cash has been in decent form this season, yet perhaps he is best suited to playing in defence and letting players such as Bailey and Diaby cause chaos off the wings in the near future.
Having suffered defeat to the Polish side in their first group-stage game back in September, Villa will be keen to avoid a repeat and gain another confidence-boosting European win.
With the players at his disposal, Emery could spearhead them to triumph in the competition. There is absolutely no doubt about that.