Aston Villa travel to the Amex to face Brighton this afternoon, giving Unai Emery the chance to unleash one of his key players who was missed against Olympiacos.
After the disappointment of Thursday night’s result, Aston Villa will be eager to return to winning ways this afternoon, as Unai Emery’s side travel to the South Coast to battle Brighton for three points.
It’s a must-win game for the Villans, who could take a significant leap forward in the race for fourth place, all but confirming their qualification for next season’s Champions League with a win.
The manager is expected to rotate his side slightly after Thursday’s defeat to Olympiacos, with a number of players waiting on final checks to determine their fitness ahead of the fixture.
READ MORE: Latest Aston Villa injury news v Brighton
Aside from those who missed out in midweek due to injury, the boss will almost certainly make some changes to his starting XI after handing a rest to Pau Torres.
Aston Villa missed Pau Torres against Olympiacos
While it was a good idea to rest Torres on Thursday with there being room for rotation, it was abundantly clear that Villa missed their famed centre-back.
During the defeat to Olympiacos, TNT Sports commentator Lucy Ward noted the areas where the Villans were missing the Spaniard at the back, for reasons aside from his defensive strengths.
“Their main progressor of the ball, Pau Torres is not playing, that’s big as well because he usually finds the right pass.
“They play into those central areas and Olympiacos are just pouncing, they’re setting traps in central midfield and winning the ball back easily.”
Without both Emi Martinez and Torres, Villa’s style of play was compromised by the Greek side, something that Emery must ensure doesn’t happen against the Seagulls when playing out from the back.
Pau Torres can make the difference against Brighton
Lauded as Villa’s ‘Rolls-Royce’ for his performances in Emery’s back four this season by Lucy Ward, Torres is fundamental to how the Villans stamp their style on the opposition.
READ MORE: Who is Pau Torres? Aston Villa’s impenetrable defender
By bringing the £33m summer arrival back into the side against Brighton, the visitors will have a stronger approach to playing between the lines, with not many in the Premier League playing the progressive game as well as Torres.
As seen above, the Spaniard ranks as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League when it comes to stepping out from the back to influence play ahead.
The 27-year-old can offer Emery something unique to any of the Villans’ other defensive options, an element of his game that can certainly make the difference against the Seagulls.
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