Fewer touches than John Victor, Sean Dyche must axe flop dispossessed 10 times vs Aston Villa

Sean Dyche has been left with some major questions to answer after Nottingham Forest were ripped apart by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Arsenal fans were also eagle-eyed as the Premier League title race took another twist, especially as Unai Emery waited to shake hands with Dyche, rather than snubbing him like Mikel Arteta.

The Forest manager will have had his hands on his head as John Victor came charging out of his area, allowing John McGinn the chance to grab his brace, and Villa’s third of the afternoon.

Morgan Gibbs-White grabbed one back, but it was nowhere near enough for the Tricky Trees, who remain 17th in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone.

Dyche needs to make changes if his team are to survive the drop, and he needs to make them quickly.

John Victor was not Sean Dyche’s biggest problem at Villa Park

Having picked up an injury during his horrible mistake, Victor ended the game on 25 touches, only completing 59 per cent of his passes, and went off in tears in the 78th minute [FotMob].

While he was clearly an issue for the visitors, they had just as much trouble in the final third, with Emi Martinez hardly looking like conceding until Gibbs-White struck on the hour mark.

Omari Hutchinson and Dilane Bakwa were both non-existent on the flank, but the main issue came through the middle, with Igor Jesus unable to hold the ball up for his teammates.

Dyche is clearly no fan of Arnaud Kalimuendo, so Taiwo Awoniyi would appear to be the obvious replacement for the Brazilian, and his atrocious stats prove why that change is required.

Igor Jesus’ performance in numbers vs Aston Villa

Jesus had even fewer touches than his goalkeeper, barely being involved with 20 [FotMob], showing just how much he struggled against Emery’s two centre-backs, even with Villa’s injuries.

He was also dispossessed 10 times [Sofascore], with his only attempt at goal being off target, running offside twice, losing the most duels of anyone on the pitch, 12, and committing five fouls.

Forest’s next game is a must-win against West Ham on Tuesday, 6 January, and Dyche must get his tactics spot on as teams continue to circle the relegation zone.

The Reds cannot afford to have many performances as they did against Villa; otherwise, Championship football next season will be a guarantee, rather than a dangerous risk.

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