Transfer Restrictions Clearly Frustrated Emery
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Boss Unai Emery had seemed more frayed this month, the stress of the window and Aston Villa's financial restrictions appeared to be wearing on him.
That was added to the Premier League pressure with Villa losing successive home league games for the first time in two years.
It may have been a relief, then, that Villa's window ended quietly with a few young loans out- Samuel Iling Jr leaving on loan for Pisa after his spell at West Bromwich Albion was cut short and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba replacing him at The Hawthorns for the second half of the season.
Villa's dealings were essentially done and signing Tammy Abraham for £18.25m should represent good business given they get a 28-year-old England international returning with excellent experience picked up at Roma, AC Milan and Besiktas.
Douglas Luiz slots back in out of necessity following the season-ending injury to Boubacar Kamara while Harvey Elliott has come in from the cold and Leon Bailey was given a surprise recall from his loan at Roma.
All of those point to Villa needing the bodies, with Bailey's recall not planned at the start of the month.
Villa have done what they can with what they have but it still feels like they are one more injury - to Morgan Rogers for instance - away from being in real trouble.
So it may not be a surprise Emery has seemed a little more strained than usual as he tries to guide Villa back to the Champions League and end a 30-year trophy drought.
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