Aston Villa returned from the international break in wonderful form, securing a much-needed 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
The win ensures that they remain fourth in the league table, three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur, albeit they have a game in hand.
Unai Emery is clearly building something special at Villa Park. By securing Champions League football for next season, he will be able to attract even better players, using the financial boost to strengthen his side.
He recruited well in January, with Morgan Rogers an exciting signing who was signed from Championship side Middlesbrough.
The youngster enjoyed arguably his finest performance in a Villa jersey against Wolves.
Morgan Rogers’ game in numbers against Wolves
The winger was given a start by Emery with the hope that he could use his creativity and dribbling skills to good effect.
It certainly paid off. During the clash, Rogers attempted five dribbles, succeeding with all five, while he was fouled twice, indicating that the player was a big danger in the final third for the Midlands side.
The former Boro gem was also impressive when taking on opposition players, winning eight of his 12 ground duels contested, and he is swiftly becoming a reliable figure in the Villa first-team squad.
Goals
0
Assists
0
Key passes per game
0.4
Successful dribbles per game
2.2 (92% success rate)
Shots per game
0.8
Another player who was even more impressive than Rogers during the comfortable win over the Old Gold was Moussa Diaby, as the Frenchman is becoming undroppable due to his displays of late.
Moussa Diaby shone for Villa against Wolves
The former Bayer Leverkusen winger has been deployed in a more central role of late, tending to partner Ollie Watkins up top in Emery’s 4-4-2 formation. It certainly worked a treat on the weekend.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring for his side, smashing home a shot which no goalkeeper would have stopped, giving him a much-needed confidence boost.
Diaby also managed to grab an assist for Ezri Konsa to score the goal that sealed all three points, proving how important he can be if deployed as a centre-forward.
Along with his goal contributions, the 5 foot 7 dynamo succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts, made two key passes, delivered a cross and lost possession just nine times during the clash.
If he can replicate this form over the coming weeks, Emery’s men will have a wonderful chance of securing a top-four finish, securing a spot in the promised land of the Champions League.
Previously hailed as “wonderful” by Statman Dave during his time in the Bundesliga, it has taken a few months for Diaby to really hit the ground running and showcase his true potential.
With eight Premier League matches to go, the Frenchman has scored five goals while registering nine assists, which is a solid return for a player who has struggled in spells at Villa.
Should he add another few goals and assists between now and the end of the season, he could give himself a solid platform to build on ahead of next season.
Aston Villa's 7/10 star enjoyed his best performance yet vs Wolves
Aston Villa recorded a solid 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday evening
ByRoss KilvingtonMar 31, 2024
