Aston Villa have the luxury of going into the final game of the season against Crystal Palace knowing they have already secured Champions League football.
It has been an incredible season for the club, with manager Unai Emery overseeing a run to the Europa Conference League semi-final as well as a top four finish in the Premier League.
Champions League football was guaranteed when Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-0 to Manchester City, meaning the celebrations could begin as Aston Villa were hosting their annual awards night at the same time as the Spurs loss.
On the face of it, it may appear there is nothing to play for at Selhurst Park, however Emery will want to end the season with a win against an in-form Palace side.
With the Champions League comes the need to strengthen the squad in the summer too and one particular Villa player could see this as an opportunity to show his manager he is not one of the players that needs upgrading.
Lucas Digne must prove worth against Crystal Palace
That player is Lucas Digne, who Villa signed from Everton for £25 million in January 2022 with Steven Gerrard in charge of the club at the time.
The left-back has endured a mixed Villa career in his two-and-a-half years and was linked with a move away from the club last summer as he saw Alex Moreno replace him as the first-choice in his position.
However, he has fought back to earn his place this season, capitalising on opportunities that initially arose due to Moreno’s injury troubles.
In recent weeks the Frenchman has been poor, though, and came under particular criticism for his performance against Liverpool despite his side fighting back to draw 3-3 having been 3-1 down.
Left-back may well be one of the positions Emery has identified that needs improving in the summer, particularly given both Digne and Moreno are 30.
With that in mind, the full-back could have one last chance to prove to the 52-year-old that he can continue to start in a Champions League campaign with a big performance against Palace.
Digne’s Aston Villa statistics so far
Despite his recent downturn in form, Digne has more than played his part in a historic season for the Villa Park club.
The former Barcelona man has played 45 games in all competitions in what has been a gruelling season for a relatively small squad and has started 26 league games according to Transfermarkt.
In those 45 games in all competitions, Digne has scored twice and provided six assists which demonstrates his attacking prowess.
However, his defensive work often leaves a lot to be desired, with Mohamed Salah running riot against him on Monday night as he had a really tough evening.
Overall, Digne has played 92 times for Villa, scoring four goals and providing ten assists.
How many games he adds to that tally will depend on whether Emery sees fit to bring in a younger, more rounded left-back in the summer transfer window.
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