Aston Villa’s progress over the last couple of years has been nothing short of remarkable, with Unai Emery transforming the club into consistent European challengers.
The Spaniard has achieved a 56% win rate in charge of the Villans to date, subsequently winning 99 of his 177 matches since taking the reins back in November 2022.
His arrival has certainly made the club one of the Premier League’s most threatening teams, as seen by their tally of just six league losses in the 2025/26 campaign.
However, his success has been made all the more impressive, with the club restricted in their business in the market due to looming Profit and Sustainability issues.
As a result, the manager could look to offload numerous players from his senior ranks, with multiple talents in his squad falling way below the standards expected of them.
The stats behind Lucas Digne’s struggles in 2025/26
Back in the winter of 2022, Villa forked out a reported £25m for the signature of left-back Lucas Digne, with a real expectation that he would take the club to the next level.
The Frenchman has since racked up 170 appearances across all competitions, often being Emery’s starting left-back during his tenure at Villa Park.
However, the 2025/26 campaign has been one to forget for the 32-year-old, with the defender often coming under fire for his lack of impressive performances.
His worst display arguably came against Bournemouth at the Vitality a couple of weeks ago, with Digne’s non-existent defending allowing Rayan to ghost in and fire home.
The full-back’s tally of 0.2 dribbles completed per 90 also highlights his struggles, with such a figure ranking him in the bottom 25% of all defenders in England’s top-flight.
Digne’s also made just 0.6 interceptions per 90, also ranking him in the bottom 25%, which further indicates the struggles he’s faced when trying to dispossess the opposition.
The Villa star who must never play under Emery again
Over the last couple of weeks, Villa’s form across all competitions has somewhat stagnated, with Emery’s men only winning one of the last four matches across all competitions.
Marco Bizot’s red card against Newcastle United last weekend no doubt contributed to their defeat, with the goalkeeper’s moment of madness seeing the side exit the FA Cup.
However, the club remain firmly in the race to secure a top-four spot come the end of the campaign, which could massively boost the club’s finances and PSR standing.
If they are going to finish above the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool, numerous changes will likely need to be made to strengthen their efforts.
Despite changes needing to be made to the senior ranks, full-back Andres Garcia is a player who shouldn’t be called upon between now and the end of the campaign.
The Spaniard joined the Villans from Levante for a reported £6m before add-ons last January, but has found regular first-team minutes extremely hard to come by.
The 23-year-old has only made 14 appearances in his 13 months in the West Midlands, with Emery undoubtedly preferring the likes of Matty Cash in the right-back role.
This campaign has been one to forget for Garcia, subsequently featuring in just four matches across all competitions – but none of which have come from a starting role.
He’s only been on the pitch for a combined 56 minutes across his four outings, with the defender unable to break into the starting eleven after his subsequent transfer.
However, his stats from his five starts in the league last campaign don’t make for great reading, with the manager evidently making the right call in keeping him away from the starting eleven.
|
Andres Garcia – PL stats (2024/25) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
5 |
|
Minutes played |
317 |
|
Chances created |
0.2 |
|
Dribbles completed |
29% |
|
Duels won |
32% |
|
Interceptions made |
0.5 |
|
Dribbled past |
1.5 |
|
Cross success |
27% |
Garcia only managed to complete 29% of the dribbles he attempted, whilst creating just 0.2 chances per 90 – subsequently highlighting his struggles when driving forward with the ball.
Without the ball, the youngster only managed to win 32% of his duels, which ranked him in the bottom 1% of all defenders in the division for the 2024/25 campaign.
He also made just 0.5 interceptions per 90, and was dribbled past 1.5 times per 90, demonstrating his lack of quality in regaining possession for Emery’s side.
As a result, it’s clear the manager doesn’t see the defender as part of his long-term plans, with Garcia evidently not at the level needed for success in England’s top-flight.
He and Digne are two players who ultimately should be moved on when the summer transfer window opens, especially if the Villans are to build on any success this campaign.
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