Unai Emery finally has the opportunity to reshape his Aston Villa side at Hull City after completing a £77million Deadline Day double and watching his team start the Premier League season with consecutive defeats.
Villa followed their 4-0 collapse at Brighton with a much-improved 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on Monday.
The performance changed. The attacking outcome did not.
Emery’s side remain without a point, goal or shot on target after 180 minutes, while Saturday’s opponents have won both matches without conceding.
As our analysis of Hull’s remarkable start explains, the promoted side have also added 18 players during an aggressive summer rebuild.
Villa now have reinforcements of their own available to integrate.
Here are four changes Emery could consider at the MKM Stadium.
Ibrahim Mbaye could immediately add Aston Villa threat
The most exciting decision surrounds Ibrahim Mbaye.
Villa completed the £47million signing of Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain on Deadline Day after agreeing a €55m package for the Senegal international.
The 18-year-old and Taylor Harwood-Bellis were not available against Arsenal, but both could now come into contention for their debuts at Hull.
The Guardian confirmed Villa completed both transfers on Monday, bringing Emery’s number of summer additions to ten. The Guardian’s Deadline Day report highlighted Mbaye’s arrival after he helped PSG retain both Ligue 1 and the Champions League. (theguardian.com)
Villa desperately need the qualities he offers.
George Hemmings started from the left against Arsenal, with John McGinn and Emiliano Buendía completing the attacking midfield line behind Nicolas Jackson.
Mbaye would give Emery a natural wide attacker capable of running beyond defenders and carrying the ball at pace.
That could mean Hemmings dropping out despite the teenager starting Villa’s opening two league games.
Potential change: Mbaye IN, Hemmings OUT
Taylor Harwood-Bellis can replace Victor Lindelöf
Emery also has a new centre-back to consider.
Villa finally completed their £30m deal for Taylor Harwood-Bellis after Southampton rejected two earlier approaches.
Victor Lindelöf partnered Pau Torres against Arsenal and helped Villa produce a far more controlled defensive performance than at Brighton.
There is therefore no desperate need for change.
But Harwood-Bellis was specifically recruited after Ezri Konsa’s £51m departure to Arsenal.
Jacob Tanswell has reported that Emery particularly valued the England defender’s ability in possession, with Villa seeing similarities to Pau Torres alongside his set-piece threat and leadership potential.
Southampton’s official confirmation of Harwood-Bellis’ transfer brings that option immediately into Emery’s thinking.
A Pau-Harwood-Bellis partnership would also represent a significant step towards the defensive structure Villa intend to use long-term.
Potential change: Harwood-Bellis IN, Lindelöf OUT
Alejandro Garnacho can give Aston Villa more direct running
There is another attacking decision Emery could make without relying solely on Mbaye.
Alejandro Garnacho started on the bench against Arsenal but was introduced in the second half as Villa searched for an equaliser.
The former Chelsea winger offers qualities currently lacking from the starting side.
Villa had spells of promising possession against Arsenal, yet too often failed to turn them into attacks which forced David Raya into action.
Garnacho is willing to attack full-backs directly and run towards goal rather than continually receive possession in front of an organised defence.
Starting both Garnacho and Mbaye would be an aggressive choice.
It could also leave Emery sacrificing some of the control offered by Buendía and McGinn.
But after two successive games without a shot on target, introducing another genuine one-on-one attacker deserves serious consideration.
Our post-window strongest Aston Villa XI already identified Garnacho and Mbaye as the two most natural wide options around Jackson.
Hull’s defensive start may provide the first opportunity to test that combination.
Potential change: Garnacho IN, Buendía OUT
Aaron Wan-Bissaka can challenge Matty Cash
The fourth call comes at right-back.
Matty Cash started both of Villa’s opening Premier League matches, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka made his Villa debut from the bench against Arsenal.
Emery now has a genuine choice.
Cash offers familiarity with the manager’s system and remains capable of contributing higher up the pitch.
Wan-Bissaka brings exceptional one-on-one defensive ability and another option for how Villa build down the right.
Hull have demonstrated that they can punish opponents quickly despite spending long periods without the ball.
Emery may therefore value Wan-Bissaka’s defensive qualities away from home.
Villa’s confirmed XI against Arsenal showed how few of the club’s late-window additions were ready to start immediately.
By Saturday, that picture could look very different.
Potential change: Wan-Bissaka IN, Cash OUT
Leon Goretzka decision requires patience
One name I would not put into Villa’s starting XI yet is Goretzka.
The German missed the Arsenal game because he had not reached Emery’s required fitness level.
Emery explained that Goretzka needed further training sessions before revealing he hoped the midfielder could make the squad against Hull, potentially from the bench. BirminghamLive reported Emery’s Goretzka fitness update. (birminghammail.co.uk)
That makes a first appearance possible without pretending a start is likely.
João Gomes is also unavailable through suspension, while Villa are taking a cautious approach with Johan Manzambi’s return from injury.
Those absences limit Emery’s midfield changes.
Elsewhere, however, the manager suddenly has substantially more choice.
How Aston Villa could change against Hull
Compared with the Arsenal XI:
Mbaye for Hemmings
Garnacho for Buendía
Harwood-Bellis for Lindelöf
Wan-Bissaka for Cash
That would leave Villa looking considerably closer to the squad Emery assembled during the final weeks of the transfer market.
He does not need to make all four changes.
But after two defeats and no goals, doing nothing would arguably represent the bigger gamble.
The transfer window has closed.
The rebuild is assembled.
Hull is where Emery can finally begin using it.
