Emi Buendia: Questions need to be asked of Unai Emery as Aston Villa star fumbles again
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Credit: Imago Fri 1 May 2026 16:15, UK Emi Buendia was on fire earlier this season for Aston Villa and had little trouble in finding the net.Yet, in 2026, the goals have dried up, with the attacker only scoring three times so far this calendar year.With goal contributions hard to come by, so is a good performance from Buendia, who struggled once again in the defeat to Nottingham Forest on Thursday before he was taken off late on.The lack of attacking threat no doubt helped contribute to Villa’s downfall, with the visitors creating few chances.Now, questions must be asked of Unai Emery as his decisions led to a shock Villa defeat. ⚽ Aston Villa Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every Aston Villa fixture. VISIT THE VILLA MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Unai Emery needs to stop selecting Emi Buendia Since the Tottenham victory in the FA Cup in January, Buenedia has played in 21 matches in all competitions for Villa.Yet, in this time, he has only scored twice and provided just two assists.Emi Buendia’s stats vs Nottingham ForestMinutes79xA0.06Chances created0Shots0Successful dribbles 0%Touches in opposition box1Buendia was awful against Nottingham Forest.
Credit: FotmobThis is simply a shocking return, with the winger clearly no longer having a big influence on the game.Given how common these performances have become, questions need to be asked of Emery.Buendia simply is not returning to form and other players should be given chances to shine.While he might not fancy Leon Bailey, he is only one goal off the Argentine during the same time period despite playing far fewer minutes.— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 30, 2026 On top of this, Jadon Sancho was also providing plenty of assists until he was dropped.If Emery does not stop playing Buendia, he could risk missing out on the Europa League trophy, and he will have no one to blame but himself.Will Aston Villa target a new winger in the summer transfer window?Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Leo Scienza is open to a move to the Premier League this summer.The Southampton star is an Aston Villa target, and could leave St Mary’s if they fail to get promoted.Scienza is keen to play at the highest level, and a summer move could allow him to do so.So far this season, he has scored 10 goals and picked up 10 assists in all competitions for both Southampton and Heidenheim.However, it remains to be seen if Villa will win the race for the 27-year-old and provide further attacking cover to their wings. 🦁 ASTON VILLA INSIDER UPDATE 🦁 Get the inside track on the Villa Park dugout, transfer strategy, player wages, and technical leadership at Bodymoor Heath. Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from Villa Park.