Emery must never start Aston Villa flop again

Aston Villa suffered a blow in the race to secure Champions League football for the 2026/27 campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night.

Unai Emery‘s side remain six points ahead of Bournemouth, who are sixth, with three games left to play, but could have all-but-secured their place in the competition with a win against Spurs.

The Villans did not take their second touch in the opposition’s box until the 72nd minute of the match, the longest it has taken any team to do so in the division this season.

It was a dull attacking performance by Villa, who did not look at all threatening until Emi Buendia’s lovely stoppage time header, and Unai Emery will not be pleased with the way that his team played.

The supporters sat inside Villa Park certainly were not pleased with the performance on display, as loud boos rang around the stadium when they went in 2-0 down at the break.

Where Unai Emery went wrong with his Aston Villa team selection

Villa knew that Spurs would be up for this game, as they are in a relegation scrap, and they started with two high-pressing, tough-tackling, midfielders in Conor Gallagher and Joao Palhinha.

The Lilywhites midfielders completely dominated the game for Roberto De Zerbi, with Gallagher even opening the scoring with a brilliant striker, and that was partly down to the team that Emery selected.

Injuries to Amadou Onana and John McGinn somewhat forced the Spaniard’s hand, but a midfield three of Lamar Bogarde, Youri Tielemans, and Ross Barkley looked doomed to fail before a ball was kicked.

Whilst Douglas Luiz is not Onana or McGinn, the Brazilian midfielder may have added more tenacity and mobility than Barkley and Tielemans, who could not cope with the intense pressing that Gallagher and Palhinha provided.

Along with picking a midfield that lacked mobility, Emery also played Jadon Sancho, who is a one-paced winger, and he ended the game with zero shots and zero chances created.

The former England international does not have the blistering pace to carry the team forward when the midfield is unable to, which led to a disjointed and slow team performance.

The Aston Villa player who must never start for the club again

Whilst Sancho looked ineffective on the right flank for the Villans, another player on the night was even worse than the Manchester United loanee and should not start another game for the club.

Barkley lined up in the middle of the park and was even worse than Sancho, who did at least win 100% of his duels and attempted two crosses into the box to try to make something happen.

The veteran midfielder looked out of his depth against the mobility and intensity on display from Gallagher and Palhinha, who did not give him a single moment to rest on the ball or in duels.

Barkley failed to win a single duel or make any tackles or interceptions in 85 minutes on the pitch for the Villans, whilst he also contributed nothing of note in possession to get Villa back in the game.

He had the same issues that he had in the 4-3 win over Sunderland in his last start for the club, when the midfielder lost six of his eight duels and failed to create a single chance for the team.

Barkley, therefore, should not start another game this season because he does not look suited to the intensity of starting Premier League matches in midfield at this point in his career, on the evidence of his last two starts for Villa.

Coventry City, who won the Championship title this season, have been linked with an interest in making him one of their first signings as a top-flight club this summer.

Emery must sanction an exit for the 32-year-old central midfielder by not exercising the one-year option on his contract and, instead, allowing him to leave on a free transfer at the end of June.

Barkley has not shown that he has what it takes to step in and produce quality performances when needed as a starter, which is why the club should move on from him and sign a more mobile and athletic replacement who can cope with the intensity that teams in the Premier League press with.