Is Aston Villa boss Dean Smith going to throw Matt Targett in at the deep end?
Aston Villa fans expressed a desire to see Matt Targett given a Premier League debut tomorrow.
The Villans visit Arsenal and some of their supporters want to see Targett come in for Neil Taylor at left-back.
Targett, who joined from Southampton in a £17 million deal this past summer [The Telegraph], has been injured for much of his Aston Villa career so far, but Dean Smith revealed that he was in contention to start in London.
But it could be a big, big mistake if Smith starts him ahead of Taylor.
Nobody is saying that Targett isn’t the better left-back, but Taylor is undeniably the sharper and fitter of the two and the Aston Villa boss could be throwing a lamb to the slaughter if he starts the ex-Saint.
That is because Targett could come up against one of Nicolas Pepe or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and either one could absolutely tear him to shreds.
We saw a Crewe Alexandra winger give him the run-around in a League Cup clash last month – and that’s a League Two player. Pepe or Aubameyang could tear him a new one.
The 24-year-old is no slouch in the speed department, but the game at Crewe was a reminder that he isn’t ready and Smith would be totally culpable if he plays him at the Emirates and he gets destroyed.
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