A quick word on Man City: they made it very comfortable for us. They looked very vulnerable to breaks. Their tactic of fouling us every time we got the ball didn't work. Is there a more tedious tactic? Must be painful to watch every week, I'm sure it contributes to the poor atmosphere at their place

Bouba - simply magnificent.

Onana - I've got high hopes for him, and I'm sure he's as frustrated as anyone with the injuries that have held him back so far for us. But after a slightly shaky start he was brilliant on Sunday. Used his physicality when needed, but was great on the ball too. He could be such a big player for us.

Pau - He's back. Now, I've always liked Pau, but last season he wasn't at his best (I think I've heard he was carrying a knock). This year, though, he's been great. There was one ball he played, when, under pressure, he dropped it into Barkley to put us on the front foot, that was just so good.

Ezri Konsa - I'll be completely honest here, at the start of the season I thought we might need an upgrade at RCB. But Konsa's performances have gone up a notch this year. He's taking more responsibility with and without the ball, and he's becoming one of the best defenders in the league.

Matty Cash - aside from his goal (which I was not expecting from his left foot!) I thought he did a great job against whoever he came up against. I think he loves games like that, where the team sit back a bit and he can just focus on his man. City played into our hands, really.

My optimism has nearly completely evaporated... I'm starting to worry about the players wanting to play the way Unai wants them too. We've definitely got more solid at the back, but we create very little. Not sure how you solve our issues - just got to trust that Unai does, I guess!

Great! Then you can join me for the crushing hit of reality later tonight after another 0-0 (Brentford win 3-0 on penalties)...

Oh, I can absolutely see that too. But tonight is a great opportunity to make a change. Unai must see what we see, and his reaction at the end of the game on Saturday shows he's not happy with things are going - obviously. I think we'll see a different approach tonight. I just pray it works...

Tonight's the night... A tranquil island of freedom amongst the crashing tides of the season so far. Elliot, Sancho, Guessand and Donny to be given a chance to show what they can do. The defence keeps up its excellent record so far this season. From here, we build a platform... 3-0 Villa.

That's nice of him to say, but has he warned poor Harvey about all the fireworks?!?

There's too much at stake for everyone for it to drag on. He needs to play & we need him. With the UEL squad deadline tonight, he's not going anywhere. He just needs to get the manager & players on side, and the fans will follow. He's acted like an idiot, but it's hardly out of character, is it?

Yeah, it seems an obvious flaw in our policy if every player is up sale at the right price. I understand why we need to think like, but how are the manager and players supposed to know where they stand when everything could change overnight? It's all a bit of a mess while the window is open.

• Sancho may or may not be part of the Martinez deal
• Paqueta is playing for West Ham today
• Asensio may be off to Turkey

I don't have the capacity to decide whether this is net positive news or not. #avfc

Agreed. We need to use him correctly, and find a way to get the best out of him and Rogers together. I just think because it's not an exciting, unknown player, people are forgetting how good he can be. Asensio has the ability to win matches - something we haven't done yet!

He could be a great signing for us. He could bring out the best in other players, and we can all see the squad needs a bit of a lift. Him and Guessand could transform how we attack when they're both up to speed (and have earned Unai's trust). It's a risk, but one worth taking imho. #avfc

• How he'll fit into the 2025/26 version of Aston Villa
• The length (and terms) of his contract

There is just so much we don't know. We've seen him play. We know he can be game-changing, but he can also go missing. We know he has a lot of experience, but we know he lacks physicality. (Cont.)

Quite how anyone can be so sure of anything about this signing, I have no idea. There are just too many variables that we don't know enough about.

• What fee we'll pay
• Whether that means we can't make any other signings
• Whether we'll see the Asensio that first joined or the one that tailed off