Emery should bench underperforming Aston Villa midfielder after City loss

Aston Villa’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season suffered a setback as they lost 2-1 to Manchester City on Tuesday night. The defeat leaves Villa in seventh place, two points behind fifth-placed Newcastle United but having played an extra game compared to the teams above them.

A late goal from Matheus Nunes secured the win for City after earlier goals from Bernardo Silva and Marcus Rashford had left the match level at halftime. While substitute defender Axel Disasi made a costly error leading to the winning goal, midfielder Boubacar Kamara put in an even more disappointing performance over the full 90 minutes.

Kamara looked sluggish and was easily outmuscled in midfield battles, winning just 23% of his duels. He lost 7 out of 9 challenges and failed to make a single tackle or interception all game. This was well below his usual standards in the Premier League this season.

The French midfielder has played 37 matches across all competitions this campaign and his tired display suggests he may be in need of a rest. Manager Unai Emery should consider dropping Kamara from the starting lineup to allow him to recharge, as his poor showing made it too easy for Manchester City to control the center of the pitch.

With crucial matches ahead as Villa chase European qualification, Emery may need to rotate his squad and bench Kamara to inject some fresh energy into the midfield. The manager must be ruthless in his team selection to keep Villa’s top four hopes alive in the final stretch of the season.