Aston Villa has kicked off the 2023/2024 season strongly, solidifying their spot in the Premier League’s top six after playing only eight games. The Lions are also keeping tabs on other teams in the UEFA Conference League Group E. However, Unai Emery’s side has already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup despite their impressive run this early into the season.
During the last summer transfer window, the team spent £80.5 million on five signings (Pau Torres, Moussa Diaby, Youri Tielmans, Nicolo Zaniolo, and Clement Lenglet). Some of these signings have made a great impression on the field, while others are yet to blossom. That can also be said about the other players in the team, with a congested schedule plaguing the team.
With October’s international break giving the media and fans time to reflect on the season’s start, we have found it to be a great time to rate top individual players in the team starting with the defence. Fortunately, there are plenty of sports betting opportunities at the Betway sportsbook as you continue reflecting on EPL’s season start.
Robin Olsen- 4
While Aston Villa has recorded strong results whenever Robin Olsen is playing, his mistakes are becoming far too frequent. The Swedish player can be grateful that not many of his misplaced passes from the back have resulted in a conceded goal, but that’s embarrassing since he’s said to be quite a popular figure in the dressing room.
Matty Cash – 8
If you like placing goal scorer wagers with the Betway EPL Sportsbet markets, then Matty Cash might be a familiar name. Cash has shown a significant improvement this season, with Unai Emery occasionally using him as a midfielder thanks to his strength on the field. The rising star has scored three goals and recorded two assists so far.
Emiliano Martinez – 8
While Aston Villa’s 5-1 defeat was demoralizing for many fans, Emiliano Martinez responded incredibly well with some incredible performances in the later matches. Martinez was quite elemental in Villa’s 4-0 victory over Everton and also stood out during Villa’s win over Chelsea, as he made several top saves. His leadership at the back was also impressive in both games.
Ezri Konsa – 7
Ezri Konsa probably deserves an eight if it wasn’t for the smidge of inconsistency that’s starting to plague his game. While the same can be said about Aston Villa as a squad, Konsa has stood out like a sore thumb as some fans blame his poor performance for the 2-1 Carabao Cup loss against Everton. He also wasn’t himself during Villa’s 3-0 crash by Liverpool.
Pau Torres – 7
Pau Torres’s big-money signing seems to have gone well for Aston Villa and he has secured a spot in the team’s starting XI in recent weeks. Torres has been a great player for the team, although his lack of pace is exposing Villa on the left side of their defence on several occasions. That was quite evident during their game against Wolves.
Diego Carlos – 7
While Diego Carlos is still working hard to get back to his full sharpness, he has done a great job bouncing back with confidence after such a major injury. Diego has looked composed since the start of the season and his last-ditch defending strategy has been particularly impressive in the last few games.
Do you agree with our ratings? Comment below. Next up we take a look at the midfield.