“Not replacing him is a problem, We will be back”- Villa legend Agbonlahor highlights one clear ‘problem’ Unai Emery failed to address in the summer following Liverpool defeat as he remains optimistic over successful season

Aston Villa put up a good fight but were ultimately beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday night.

It means that Unai Emery’s men have gone winless in their last five matches in all competitions, as goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah secured the victory for Liverpool.

While the scoreline perhaps reflects a comfortable display for the Reds, Aston Villa did have their moments in the match, including Amadou Onana’s header that produced a world-class save and a penalty shout on Pau Torres that was waved away in the second half.

However, once the Villans entered dangerous areas of the pitch, the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins were wasteful.

They just needed someone to produce a moment of individual quality to get them back in the game but that wasn’t forthcoming, as Agbonlahor highlighted Villa’s mistake of not replacing Moussa Diaby in the summer.

“Not a bad performance! I think diaby leaving and not replacing him is a problem. A lot for Rodgers and Watkins to do by themselves! We will be back big game at home to palace👊🏾”.

https://twitter.com/ga11agbon/status/1855368803284090893?t=fHb4keP7yTNY7VyNvTCfcA&s=19

Despite only signing for a club record transfer in the summer of 2023, Diaby chose to jump ship this year, joining Saudi Arabian powerhouse Al-Ittihad. For all of his critics last term, the Frenchman was an important player for Villa as he registered 19 goal involvements in all competitions, including 14 in the Premier League.

Agbonlahor is therefore right in saying that Aston Villa miss his attacking output, and although Jaden Philogene was essentially signed as a replacement from Hull City, he hasn’t done enough to fill the void.