Emi Buendia came off the bench to score the winner for Aston Villa against Tottenham in the capital
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Emi Buendia won the game for Aston Villa at Tottenham
Emi Buendia won the game for Aston Villa at Tottenham
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Few Aston Villa fans - if any - would have expected Emi Buendía to be making key contributions in Unai Emery’s side this season.
But these are the stories all football fans love. There is much to admire about the diminutive playmaker’s attitude, even if showcasing his quality in claret and blue has been too infrequent.
To understand why, let’s rewind more than 26 months. On the eve of the 2024/25 season, Buendía suffered an ACL injury that ended his campaign before it even began. Weeks earlier, many had tipped him to play an important role in Villa’s season, which included a return to European football - a feat he had helped the club achieve in Emery’s first months in charge.
That crushing blow meant he missed an entire season of Villa’s progress, as the club climbed the Premier League table and edged out Tottenham to finish fourth.
Last season, Buendía’s only moment for Villa came against Wycombe Wanderers in the Carabao Cup, where he scored the winner at Adams Park. Soon enough, it seemed that would be the last time he’d celebrate scoring for the club.
A loan move to Bayer Leverkusen followed at the start of the year, and the fact that Xabi Alonso - now Real Madrid manager - wanted him spoke volumes. But frustration continued, as Buendía started only three Bundesliga matches in the second half of the season.
Isn’t football funny? Now, with three goals in his last four appearances back at Villa, it is Buendía whose key contributions have helped drag the club out of a terrible start to the season. The team has turned a precarious position into one where they have won both opening Europa League matches and sit just three points off the top four.
Buendía isn’t just making up for lost time; the devastation of missing Villa’s ascent - considering the level he had been playing at before his ACL injury - makes his comeback even more admirable.
Even better, his Villa career had all but been written off over the summer. Perhaps the club’s spending restraints were the stroke of luck Buendía needed to be counted on by Emery, who had sanctioned a permanent exit.
Leverkusen had an option to buy Buendía for around £17 million earlier in the summer. When they opted not to, the Argentine must have expected to find a new club once again.
Stuttgart registered their interest late in the summer window, but Villa were never going to accept a loan move. That decision was made with the belief that he could prove his worth - and prove it he has, tenfold, considering where his stock was just a couple of months ago.
“From the start of the season I wanted to show everyone that I wanted to play for this team and for this club, and I am glad I do it every game,” he told Sky Sports after scoring the winner against Spurs.
“It feels amazing to come here; it's such a difficult place to play and a really tough opponent. At the start of the match they got the advantage, but the team showed character to come back and get a win.”
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