Strong Aston Villa midfield triangle starts against Brighton | OneFootball

Unai Emery is approaching all Aston Villa games like his last. The starting XI for the match against Brighton shows where the Spaniard is thinking. Naturally, every team would want its best players, but Marco Asensio, who has been excellent since arriving on loan from PSG, found himself starting on the bench for the Wednesday Premier League fixture.

Instead, the three middies, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, and Boubacar Kamara, were selected to play from the opening whistle. This engine in the center of the park boasts a strong force in the most critical area of the pitch. Not as much about playmaking in the final third, this selection suggests that Emery wants to focus on winning back possession and not even letting his opponents grab a whiff of a hold in the game.

It comes with a risk, of course, as Asensio has often proven to be the vital connective piece between the midfield and the attackers. Oftentimes, it was even him outright shooting or creating the clear goal-scoring opportunity.

That's part of the balance, though, for the AVFC manager. A number of players who sit out every game have a credible case to play. The club has done well to fill a lot of areas needs, as well as providing cover.

With the starting trio in front of the back four, however, they should be able to protect against any serious attempts from reaching Emiliano Martínez. While Asensio is the more creative player in the attack, the selected starters are capable of working the ball up the pitch to their teammates and also creating in their own right.

Worthwhile Aston Villa approach

There is enough time, and the squad is coming back into full health, where the Villa boss can afford to see how certain lineups work. By all means, Brighton are a good EPL side, and away from Villa Park, this should be a challenge.

Emery's going with more of the high-energy and high-work-rate approach shows what his emphasis for this one is. Worst case, Asensio is brought on to chase a goal. With this starting lineup, though, it's doubtful that if Aston Villa are chasing, it would be any more goals that they would be chasing than the way.