Outlook: Aston Villa star Emery could be handed a full first-team role against Burnley.
Diego Carlos leaves Aston Villa fans disappointed after Burnley game, threatens first-team role Aston Villa defender Diego Carlos could be at risk of losing his regular starting role under Unai Emery after the clash with Burnley.
The Villans are level with Premier League leaders Liverpool after Douglas Luiz’s winner against 10-man Burnley on Saturday (December 30).
The Brazilian midfielder scored from the penalty spot in the 89th minute after John Duran fouled former Villa player Aaron Ramsey.
Aston Villa performed well against Vincent Kompany’s men after equalizers from Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster denied goals from Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby.
Eleven minutes after the break, Burnley had the ability and quality to dismantle Villars despite Sander Berge being sent off for a second bookable offence, but Luiz’s fierce penalty sealed all three points in a game full of Birmingham events.
The win took Villa 42 points behind Liverpool on goal difference and the Reds faced Newcastle United on New Year’s Day.
It was far from an enjoyable afternoon or a solid performance from Aston Villa, and it was down to their poor and poor defending against a Burnley side that was not their best scorer.
The manner in which Villa conceded the first goal was disappointing and was down to the leadership and organization of experienced team-mates like Carlos.
The Brazilian (red dot) was watching the ball and aiming for Amduni’s equalizer in the first half.
If Tyrone Mings had come from behind to go forward, this goal could have been disallowed.
With the temporary absence of Mings and Pau Torres, Carlos was given the opportunity to take charge based on his experience and elite-level know-how, but despite the win, he left Emery out for good.
According to the player, Carlos failed to make a single tackle, block, interception or ground tackle for Villa on the afternoon and recorded just one clearance, earning him the worst average rating of any Aston Villa player.
The Brazilian managed just one strike in the 3-2 defeat against Manchester United, but ultimately Aston Villa’s lack of goals has been a major concern in recent weeks.
Since the 1-0 win over Arsenal on December 9, the Villans have conceded eight goals in five games in all competitions [SofaScore] and have not kept a single clean sheet.
Carlos is the defensive epicenter of the competition.They have also conceded 18 shots on target this season and if these defensive shortcomings continue, Villa’s current position in the Premier League may not be sustainable.
Emery needs to turn things around and maybe Villa’s best won’t do as well as Carlos, who has been cruel to him in the last two games.
Such brilliance and fragility will surely cause panic over the Brazilian’s permanent first-team role.