Pundit issues ‘huge’ Emi Buendia claim after ‘incredible’ Aston Villa development
Unai Emery’s appointment as Aston Villa manager has been “huge” for Emi Buendia.
That’s according to former Hibernian striker Tam McManus, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the attacker’s recent form.
Buendia, 26, only started three Premier League games under Steven Gerrard’s management this season but has started all six of Emery’s league games in charge.
He repaid that faith by scoring in Villa’s stunning 2-0 win at Tottenham on New Year’s Day.
McManus claims Emery can get Buendia back to the form he previously showed during his time at Norwich.
“We all knew the appointment of Emery was an incredible coup,” McManus told Football Insider‘s Ben Wild.
“He is someone who will attract quality players and improve the standards at the club. But he will also improve the players who are already there.
“We saw Buendia play very well and grab a much-needed goal against Tottenham. He is someone who has been underperforming for a while.
“He has never quite achieved at Villa the same quality of performance he was producing at Norwich so hopefully Emery can get him back to that.
“He had a fantastic season a couple of years ago but has never really returned to that. A manager like Emery can certainly make that difference and that’s huge for a player.”
During the 2020-21 season, his last at Norwich, Buendia scored 15 goals and registered 17 assists in 39 Championship appearances.
That came after catching the eye during the 2019-20 Premier League season, in which he was the standout player in a poor Canaries side.
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