Aston Villa fans swarm social media to blast ‘liability’ who lost possession 14 times vs Sunderland
Aston Villa supporters have fired plenty of criticism at one of Unai Emery’s attacking players for his exploits in the 1-1 draw at Sunderland on Sunday.
On 21 September, Unai Emery’s men took the lead in the second half thanks to Matty Cash’s goal, but the Black Cats equalised through Wilson Isidor.
Sunderland’s Reinildo was shown a red card for violent conduct in the first half when he kicked out at the eventual goalscorer.
However, Regis Le Bris’ side still created opportunities despite their numerical disadvantage, with Omar Alderete hitting the crossbar from one of Nordi Mukiele’s long throw-ins, before Cash’s long-range strike.
Before their trip to Sunderland, Aston Villa had endured a goalless draw at Everton on 13 September, but they finally scored their first goal of the season against the Black Cats.
Aston Villa supporters slam Emiliano Buendia for poor Sunderland showing
The fact that Villa found their first goal of the Premier League campaign in their fifth top-flight game came no thanks to Emi Buendia, who was replaced by Villa’s summer signing Harvey Elliott in the 58th minute.
As per Sofascore, the 28-year-old lost possession 14 times as he unsuccessfully tried to threaten the Sunderland backline.
One supporter commented on X: “Buendia is a liability whenever he gets the ball” , while another wrote: “Buendia is up there with Djemba Djemba as the worst footballer to ever play for this club.”
One fan added: “Cash and Buendia are both liabilities, even at their best they’re bang average.”
Meanwhile, Aston Villa stars have become unhappy amid their poor start to the Premier League season, according to their former scout Mick Brown in a Football Insider exclusive.
The former Norwich City man encountered further criticism when one Villa fan said: “Can’t believe Unai is still starting Buendia in the big 2025.”
Another commented: “There’s so many players not good enough Buendia, (Donyell) Malen, Morgan Rogers currently just carrying passengers.”
One fan added: “Sorry but the manager has a lot to answer for. Same formation every week. Buendia is terrible.”
Unai Emery will likely drop Emiliano Buendia in the Europa League
As alluded to by several Villa supporters, Buendia performed poorly against Sunderland, failing to create problems for Sunderland’s defence.
| Emi Buendia stats | Sunderland vs Aston Villa |
| Minutes played | 58 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Key passes | 0 |
| Possession lost | 14 |
The Argentina international has now failed to score or assist in five Premier League appearances, suggesting that he should no longer be a member of Emery’s starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa face Bologna in the Europa League in their next game on Thursday, 25 September.
Emery should start either Elliott or Jadon Sancho against the Italian outfit at Villa Park, as Buendia is in poor form, and the duo of summer signings boast plenty of experience in European competitions.
Elliott’s previous exploits for Liverpool, where he won the Premier League title last season, prove that he would bring more creativity to the table than Buendia.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old also shone in the summer’s Under-21 European Championship, notching five goals in six appearances for England.