Aston Villa suffered defeat to Crystal Palace in midweek, being knocked out of the League Cup in the process.

For Unai Emery, it could be a blessing in disguise, especially with more Premier League and Champions League ties to come between now and Christmas.

Nevertheless, he will still be disappointed that they have missed a chance to end their major trophy drought, especially with Manchester City also being knocked out of the competition.

Emery will be looking ahead to the tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as a chance to secure a firm grip on the fourth spot in the league table. There may be a few changes made, as some players failed to perform well against the Eagles.

Emiliano Buendia should be dropped for Villa

The Argentinian midfielder was making just his second start for the club since returning from a cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out for the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

Deployed in the number ten role by the Spaniard, Buendia was given a rare chance to shine against Palace, but he failed to really showcase his abilities.

Goals

0

Total shots

1

Ground duels (won)

13 (2)

Possession lost

11

Key passes

1

Touches

39

Via Sofascore

He did make one key pass and had a shot on target, yet the former Norwich City gem could only succeed with one of his three dribble attempts, lost possession 11 times, and won just two of his 13 ground duels during his 78 minutes on the field.

Of course, it will take time for him to get back to full match fitness, but this was a disappointing showing in a game where he could have laid down a marker for Emery.

Against Spurs, the manager will likely switch things up and this could see Morgan Rogers come back into the starting XI.

Morgan Rogers will be unleashed by Emery

The youngster has been in fine form for Villa this term. In the top flight, he has scored twice, grabbed two assists, created four big chances, and averaged 1.3 key passes per game.

These statistics show that the Englishman has cemented his place as the main attacking midfielder in Emery’s tactical system this term, given his ability to make things happen in the final third.

Former striker Tony Cascarino lavished praise on the player in September, saying: “He reminds me a little bit of Jamal Musiala. He’s that guy that picks up the ball and he’ll just make runs and he’ll create problems for others.

“He’s got a lot about him. Comparing him to Musiala, well that type of player, that’s a really big praise because Musiala’s a real talent. But I do see something in Morgan Rogers where he’s got that ability.”

High praise indeed and if Villa aim to secure yet another win, Rogers must start against Spurs on Sunday afternoon.

He is hitting his best form at exactly the right time and there is no doubt Rogers has a bright future in the game ahead if he maintains his current level of performance. That’s a certainty.

Therefore, Emery must ruthlessly ditch Buendia from the starting XI, after his struggles last time out, and bring the England U21 international back into the starting XI, as the Argentine whiz failed to take his chance to impress in the cup.