It was not so long ago that Villa decided to sign Alex Moreno, now on loan at Nottingham Forest, because he was regarded as the ideal profile for an Emery-style left-back; a sharp burst of acceleration was vital to his one-v-one and ball-carrying abilities.

Moreno started 14 of the 20 Premier League games which Villa had remaining of the 2022/23 season, while Digne only played five times from the off. As Moreno was injured in pre-season last year and missed the start of the campaign, Digne had the opportunity to win back his place in the side and he took it with both hands.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has made it clear that he thinks Pau Torres needs to be stronger with some of his defending sometimes, even though he generally praised the way the Spain international