The Carabao Cup gave Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea backups the chance to shine in midweek and these six players grasped this opportunity with both hands. Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa) The stars of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea will be given their flowers shortly, but we start with Aston Villa attacking midfielder Buendia. A significant knee ligament injury saw the Argentina international miss the entirety of last season, so he had to watch on from the sidelines as Unai Emery’s side upset the odds to gatecrash the top four and qualify for the Champions League .
After impressing during the 2022/23 campaign, Buendia’s injury ensured he was left behind as he naturally fell in the pecking order when Emery bolstered his squad ahead of their Champions League debut. It was suggested in the summer that Buendia could have a loan spell elsewhere to get some minutes, but Villa’s involvement in four competitions this season means he was always likely to be given a chance to gain Emery’s trust. Before his start against League One side Wycombe Wanderers, Buendia had only been on the pitch for nine minutes this term as Emery eased him back into the fold.
Yet on Tuesday, he played 89 minutes and scored in Villa’s narrow 2-1 victory, thus making a significant step forward in his progression. READ: One per club: Best youngsters out on loan in 2024/25 includes Liverpool, Villa summer signings Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) The Netherlands international showed Liverpool what he’s capable o.