Aston Villa’s 2024/25 campaign began with a bang, but recent performances have exposed the challenges of sustaining such momentum.In the Premier League, they’ve slipped from contending for the top spots to struggling for a place in European competitions.
In the champions League, while their overall play has been commendable, losses to Bruges and Monaco have raised questions about Unai Emery’s tactics and the team’s consistency.
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the Villains, once the talk of Europe, have lost their edge, as evidenced by their 1-0 defeat at Monaco’s Luis II stadium. Jhon Durán, who came on as a substitute in the second half, failed to make a significant impact.
Emery faced criticism for his decisions during the match, especially his choice to deploy two strikers in the latter stages. Durán joined Ollie Watkins on the field, but neither managed to influence the outcome, leaving fans and pundits questioning the strategy.
“opting for a two-striker formation was a misstep, especially since we were managing the game reasonably well at that point.. Our midfield became vulnerable, and the opposition capitalized on transitions, nearly netting a second goal. I aimed to improve our performance with this change,but it clearly backfired,” he admitted.
Among the most vocal critics was stiliyan Petrov, the Bulgarian ex-Aston Villa star who represented the club from 2006 to 2012. Speaking to talkSPORT, he openly expressed his frustration with durán and Watkins, holding them more accountable than Emery for the Champions League outcome. He also linked their underwhelming displays to Aston Villa’s recent struggles.
“Opting for a two-striker formation was a misstep, especially since we were managing the game reasonably well at that point.. Our midfield became vulnerable, and the opposition capitalized on transitions, nearly netting a second goal. I aimed to improve our performance with this change, but it clearly backfired,” he admitted.
Among the most vocal critics was Stiliyan petrov, the Bulgarian ex-Aston Villa star who represented the club from 2006 to 2012. Speaking to talkSPORT, he openly expressed his frustration with Durán and Watkins, holding them more accountable than Emery for the Champions League outcome. He also linked their underwhelming displays to Aston Villa’s recent struggles.
“Let’s be honest. Modern forwards often struggle to adapt to a two-striker system. Most teams now rely on a single forward, structuring their play around one central attacker rather than a pair. This was evident in yesterday’s match. After the game, I discussed with my peers the performances of Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins, both highly talented players, but it appeared they were drifting apart on the field,” he remarked.
Petrov’s assessment of their display was blunt: “There was no cohesion, no synergy between them. when you witness such a lack of connection, it’s not the coach you question—it’s the players’ ability to adapt and align with the team’s tactical approach.”
Despite initial speculation, the club ultimately decided to keep Durán after turning down inquiries from West Ham regarding the forward’s availability.
Since joining the squad, Durán and Watkins have combined for 25 goals in their 37 appearances together, as reported by As colombia.
As January draws to a close, Unai emery faces critical decisions. The manager aims to secure a top-eight spot in the Champions League while improving their Premier League standing, were they currently sit eighth with 36 points, just two behind Manchester City.
Although Emery has experience deploying dual strikers, he is likely to revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation for the upcoming match against West Ham on January 26. This tactical shift emphasizes midfield control, leaving him to decide between Watkins and Durán for the lone striker role.
