Manchester United became the second team to win at Villa Park, but what will concern Unai Emery the most is his lack of depth in midfield.
Boubacar Kamara’s injury has enhanced those worries, but let’s take a look at who could step in for the French ace.
The 24-year-old has developed a fantastic partnership alongside Douglas Luiz this season, operating in a double pivot 20 times in the Premier League this season.
Kamara is the defensive anchor in the side who provides cover for the backline, while also allowing the Brazilian to wander further forward during matches.
The fact that Kamara has zero league goals – and only one assist – but the most tackles in the squad, (2.1), proves that he prioritises his defensive duties heavily, under the instruction of the former Arsenal boss.
However, on Sunday, the former Marseille gem was substituted just after the hour mark after picking up a knock to his knee, which prevented him from continuing. Prior to that, Kamara was helping his side get back into the game while controlling the play, as highlighted by his 94% pass accuracy.
Yesterday, the dreaded update on the number 44 was announced, with the midfielder set to miss the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL.
With Leander Dendoncker leaving the club for Napoli last month, the defensive midfield role was already slightly light prior to Kamara’s huge blow.
This means that the Spaniard will have two solutions to fix the problem. Either Emery slots Youri Tielemans alongside Luiz, or he puts his trust in Tim Iroegbunam, who is much more of a like-for-like swap.
That said, it may be time for the Belgian to move over, and make way for the talented Villa academy youngster, who deserves a chance to shine in the Premier League.
Last season, the 20-year-old enjoyed a successful loan spell at QPR, where he helped the side avoid relegation, playing 32 games in the process. According to journalist Antonio Mango, he was extremely “impressive” during his time in the Championship.
As you can see, Iroegbunam is similar to Kamara in terms of his attributes, which lend themselves to a more defensive role, and he is currently the only available option in the squad who has that skill set.
The former Hoops ace is a tenacious tackler who can prevent the opponent from counterattacking due to his ability to cover ground and stop dribbling opponents, which is important given Emery’s intense philosophy. Iroegbunam is also proactive while putting his body on the line to block passes and shots.
The above gives him the defensive edge over Tielemans, who ranks in the bottom 58% and top 43% for tackles won and dribblers tackled in the Premier League, as per FBref.
Overall, this weekend’s game against Fulham could be the perfect opportunity to field Iroegbunam over Tielemans, due to the physicality of Marco Silva’s side.
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