Unai Emery concern: ‘Very worrying £37m Aston Villa update emerges at Arsenal’
Aston Villa coach Unai Emery will be majorly concerned after a “very worrying” performance from one of his expensive against Arsenal, according to Paul Merson.
The Villains were 1-0 down to the Gunners at half-time after Gabriel Martinelli converted a Leandro Trossard cross. Ian Maatsen’s failure to track Martinelli allowed the Brazilian to get in front of him and finish the move.
The goal was analysed on Sky Sports, where Merson and Lee Hendrie criticised the left-back for what they described as a “poor” display from such a high-priced signing, to fail at the basics for the position.
Merson said (6:22pm): “It’s very worrying. If you’re a full-back… what, £37 million?”
He scoffed before continuing, “The most natural thing you’ve got to do as a full-back, as soon as you get into that position, is just literally turn your head to see where the danger is”.
Hendrie echoed the sentiment, highlighting his lack of awareness in a critical moment.
Aston Villa will hope no a regular occurrence for Ian Maatsen
Football Insider Verdict
At the start of the second-half, Emery substituted Maatsen for Lucas Digne. The Frenchman made an immediate impact by assisting Villa’s first goal.
While the club may want to strengthen their defence in this transfer window, any potential signing would likely be a centre-half if Diego Carlos departs—not another left-back.
Villa already secured Dutch forward Donyell Malen this window, and Maatsen welcomed him. The full-back himself joined Villa in the summer for £37.5m from Chelsea [Sky Sports], following a successful loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.
However, the 22-year-old’s defensive abilities have come under scrutiny, with his mistakes could’ve proven costly for Villa.
As a young player, it’s crucial for the club to exercise patience with him, and having Lucas Digne as a mentor and competition could be beneficial—despite Maatsen’s hefty price tag.
Emery’s side managed to claw back a two-goal deficit to 2-2 with goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins and salvage a solid point.
In other news, Aston Villa could force Manchester United to cash in on one of their academy stars.
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