This season, Aston Villa have been one of the best underdog stories in recent Premier League history.
Following a not-so-enthralling spell under Steven Gerrard, Unai Emery has managed to instil hope and belief in the Villans' fan base – with the Midlands side now firmly in the mix for a top-four berth.
With their next game coming against Manchester United on Sunday, Emery's men will have their work cut out for them if they wish to do the unthinkable and qualify for next year's Champions League.
Although at the start of the season, qualifying for the Europa Conference League was an achievement in itself, managing to qualify for the continent's premier competition would undoubtedly be a real statement.
It is fair to say that the club's impressive current form is in part down to the astute transfers that have been made over the last two seasons in order to bolster the squad, with two players who stand out from the rest being that of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres.
The pair joined the club at the start of the 2023/24 season and have both shown their importance to Villa's recent rise, hence why they should return to the starting lineup against Erik ten Hag's side tomorrow.
Diaby and Torres' season in numbers
Diaby has been a stellar signing for Villa this season and has played in 33 games across all competitions thus far. Throughout the campaign, the winger has been fairly prolific and has contributed to a total of 12 goals so far.
The goals and assists have been shared equally, with the former Bayer Leverkusen man getting six of each – notably netting a late consolation during the midweek defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup.
On the other hand, Torres has played less frequently but is arguably just as important to the squad as the French attacker is.
The centre-back has played a total of 23 games in all competitions and has even managed to score two goals during that time.
However, his playtime this season has been somewhat hindered by injuries after the Spain international suffered an ankle knock which forced him into an eight-week hiatus.
Having been named on the bench during the recent loss to the Blues, his return to the starting line-up will help bolster Villa's defence and help them take advantage of the injury-riddled Red Devils.
Why Pau Torres should start vs Man United
Labelled as "extraordinary" by his former coach, Javi Calleja, the 6 foot 1 colossus will give Villa a much better chance of keeping the visitors out tomorrow.
According to Sofascore, the 27-year-old has helped keep four clean sheets across the season in the league, having notably recovered 4.8 balls per game in that time.
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When these statistics are compared to that of Clement Lenglet, who has been given the nod in Torres' absence of late, the France international has only managed to garner two clean sheets and has recovered just three balls per game from his six league outings.
Torres' commanding presence on the pitch will undeniably be beneficial to the Villans' chances of reigning victorious over their fellow top four battlers, with his partnership with Carlos the thing Villa have been looking for to guarantee their chances of Champions League qualification.
An intriguing prospect awaits at Villa Park on Sunday…