Aston Villa play in their first European semi-final since 1982 when they face Olympiacos in the last four of the Europa Conference League on Thursday evening.
Unai Emery is on the cusp of leading Villa to greatness this term, and it could set them up nicely for the Champions League next season, providing they secure a top-four finish in the Premier League that is.
The Midlands side drew their last match against Chelsea but were in pole position to seal all three points until the Blues scored two second-half goals, which ensured the game was a draw.
Moussa Diaby was on the substitutes bench for that clash but came on after just half an hour due to an injury suffered by Youri Tielemans.
He should be unleashed in the starting XI against Olympiacos, however, with the winger more than having the capabilities to terrorise their defence.
Moussa Diaby’s stats this season
The Frenchman cost Emery a staggering £51.9m to secure his services from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, a club record fee.
The winger had registered 97 goal contributions – 49 goals and 48 assists – across just 172 games for the Bundesliga outfit, emerging as one of the most feared attacking talents on the continent, ensuring it was a big statement of intent when Villa signed him.
Metric
Conference League
Premier League
Goals
2
6
Assists
0
7
Big chances created
0
12
Key passes per game
0.6
1.2
Successful dribbles per game
0.8
0.7
Via Sofascore
However, it would be safe to say his first season in England has been slightly underwhelming.
Across 49 matches in all competitions, Diaby has scored nine goals while grabbing seven assists, yet has started only 31 matches under Emery so far.
Of course, having a talent like his to bring on during matches would make the vast majority of managers in the league jealous, but spending that amount of money on someone while not giving them a consistent run in the team is worrying.
Despite scoring fewer goals than anticipated, Diaby has still been impressive in the top flight, creating 12 big chances, averaging 1.2 key passes per match and averaging 1.4 shots per game.
The question is, who will he replace?
Where Diaby will fit into Villa's starting lineup
Against Chelsea, Emery deployed a 4-4-1-1 formation, with John McGinn operating behind Ollie Watkins. Diaby replaced the injured Tielemans and against Olympiacos, he should start in place of the Belgian.
It would then be a case of a straight swap with McGinn, which would see the £130k-per-week dynamo operate as the number ten behind the free-scoring Watkins.
Hailed as a “wildcard” by one scout in an interview with The Athletic, the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet could give Watkins plenty of support on Thursday evening as Villa look to secure a first-leg advantage.
If all his players perform at their best, there is no reason why the club cannot secure a convincing victory which sees them put one foot into the final.
Emery must choose his strongest starting XI, however, and Diaby certainly belongs in that.
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