Aston Villa’s wonderful run of form came to a stuttering end on Sunday as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest and Unai Emery will have to go back to the drawing board ahead of a tie against AZ Alkmaar this week.
It was an uncharacteristic loss for Villa, who lost just twice in the Premier League prior to their visit to the City Ground, yet they are still in the race for a Champions League berth and Emery will be hoping it was a mere blip.
The Villa Park side didn’t play particularly badly as they dominated possession throughout the tie while also having more shots than Forest, but they just could not take their chances which led to their third league defeat of the campaign.
A few players underperformed as the phenomenal Ollie Watkins managed just one shot on target, yet it was Nicolo Zaniolo who was perhaps Emery’s weakest link in the 2-0 loss.
Nicolo Zaniolo’s game vs Nottingham Forest in numbers
The Italian was deployed once again on the left-hand side of the midfield, a position Emery has utilised him in a few times already this term, yet he did not have much of an impact.
The on-loan Roma gem did have the perfect opportunity to put Villa ahead in the 36th minute as he raced on to a Moussa Diaby pass, yet he saw his shot saved and this was his only meaningful attacking input.
He completed just seven passes, which was 18 fewer than Emiliano Martinez in goal, proving how little he saw of the play, while the midfielder also lost possession 12 times and took just 23 touches, meaning he ceded the ball nearly every two touches.
Minutes Played
45
Expected Goals (xG)
0.21
Expected Assists (xA)
0.01
Touches
23
Cross Accuracy
0/1
Dribble Accuracy
1/2
Shots on Target
1
Duels Won
1/9
Possession Lost
12x
Stats via Sofascore.
His physicality was also tested frequently as the 24-year-old managed to win just one duel out of nine contested, being brushed off the ball far too easily, and he was subbed off at half-time, replaced by Leon Bailey.
The player to replace Nicolo Zaniolo
Bailey not only managed more touches (36) and completed passes (12) than Zaniolo, but he also made one key pass and succeeded with two dribble attempts against Forest.
It was hardly a spellbinding performance, yet his displays this season should give the edge over Zaniolo for a berth on the left-hand side against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar this week.
Indeed, the Jamaican winger has shone under Emery this term, scoring six goals and registering four assists across all competitions, certainly justifying why he should be given the nod in the starting XI on Thursday rather than the Italian, who lacked any sort of attacking threat.
Villa defeated AZ 4-1 away from home just a couple of weeks ago and the former Villarreal coach will be hoping for a repeat performance which would allow them to gain some confidence back after their underwhelming loss to Forest.
It’s clear that Zaniolo should be dropped to the bench for the more efficient Bailey and another big win over the Eredivisie side will suggest the weekend defeat was just a one-off.
Bailey, who has three goals and two assists in European competition this term, could be key to the final result.