They say you should never fall in love with a loan player, but Tammy Abraham’s return to Aston Villa proves some chapters are meant to be restarted.
“Fallen giants have risen” are the famous words uttered by Sky Sports’ Daniel Mann after Villa secured promotion in 2019.
As of this writing, 2,738 days have passed since Abraham last donned the claret and blue. Chelsea, Roma, AC Milan and Besiktas followed, but seven years later the number 18 shirt was his once again.
Abraham helped Aston Villa win promotion from the Championship in 2019.
In fact, without him the club would not be where it is today. The striker, who was signed on loan while Steve Bruce was still in charge, scored 26 goals in 40 appearances.
It was a short but incredibly fulfilling stay, and I was left with the feeling that I had unfinished business in my adopted city.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” he said on the club’s official website. “I have loved this club since the first time I came here.
“I always told myself that if I had to go back to England, Villa would be one of the special teams to come back to.”
That dream has now become a reality, with Abraham making his second debut for the club against Brentford on Sunday, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. There is a possibility that Ollie Watkins could be included in the starting XI due to his injury.
Sunday, February 1st 12:30pm
Kickoff at 2pm
In hopes of seeing the striker put on the shirt again, Sky Sports spoke to the manager who got the best out of him in his first stint at the club.
“He just loves scoring goals,” former Villa manager Dean Smith, a boyhood fan who led the club to promotion under Abraham, told Sky Sports.
“He was hungry to score goals, he was hungry to succeed. We tried to sign him when we sold Jack (Grealish) but unfortunately Chelsea kept too much money so he had to go elsewhere.”
“But I think he can excite the fans again and connect with them.
“He was also a very popular person in the dressing room, which says a lot about his personality. What I remember most is that every time he scored a goal in training, he celebrated it as if it were a Premier League goal.”
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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expresses delight with signings of Abraham and Douglas Luiz
Abraham is a long-term target for Smith, a notion echoed by current manager Unai Emery.
Reports said Emery was interested in signing the forward in 2023, but preliminary talks came to an abrupt end when he injured his anterior cruciate ligament in Roma’s final game that season.
Good things come to those who wait. And Villa now have that talent, providing the squad with key reinforcements after Donyell Malen left for Abraham’s former club Roma.
“Honestly, he’s going to be good news for everyone,” Smith added of Abraham’s return. “He clearly has a connection with all the supporters there for what he achieved in the promotion-winning season.
“He loved his time at Villa and we were very happy to have him there. He’s a good player.
“He’s had some injuries but he’s bounced back from them and is always gritting his teeth to score goals. The challenge will be to either play with Ollie Watkins or challenge him.”
The striker’s dilemma at Villa
It’s definitely a challenge. In an ideal world, the club would have plenty of depth options at every position. However, finding that balance in Villa’s striker department has always proven to be a problem.
Smith, Steven Gerrard and even Emery himself have all failed, each time leading to the same outcome – the player’s sending off.
With Danny Ings, John Duran and more recently Mullen all arriving and leaving quickly, Watkins remains a constant presence in the claret and blue.
Smith is in the best position to discuss this dilemma, but he believes the depth can only benefit the club, given Villa have the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup to play, and Watkins needs to maintain balance with another injury.
He said: “He’s played so many games, Villa go to Europe regularly and they’re pretty high up in the cup competitions.”
“With more games to play, we need more depth in our squad and that’s what we get by bringing in a player like Tammy.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins disappointed after being substituted with injury during UEFA Europa League match
“If one of these players gets injured, sometimes you suddenly need another one. It would be ideal to have a couple, but we would be lucky to get two as talented as Olly and Tammy.”
Smith gave a speech before the 3-2 Europa League win over RB Salzburg, but injury concerns for Watkins, who limped off in the first half, materialized.
The striker’s return now comes at the perfect time.
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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reflected on the Europa League victory over RB Salzburg and Ollie Watkins’ injury scare.
How can Villa get the best out of Abraham again?
Smith spoke highly of his former player, but Villa need him to contribute immediately as they look towards a fairy-tale reunion.
A busy fixture schedule is weighing heavily on Watkins’ mind, and with Villa hoping to secure at least a top-five spot in the league table, hopes will be high for Abraham.
How can Villa get the most out of him? Smith believes Abraham’s presence will give them several different avenues of exploration.
Tammy Abraham training with Unai Emery at Aston Villa
“He can do a little bit of both,” he said. “He’s definitely good with his feet. He’s very clean with his feet so he can receive, set and run. If there’s a low cross or a high cross, he can get on that end as well.”
“Tammy can score in many different ways. There’s no one specific type of goal. He’s good at attacking with both feet and he’s definitely good in the air.”
One area of his game has gone under the radar and his signing could result in Villa improving at both ends of the pitch.
Over the course of the league season so far, Villa have conceded 10xG from set pieces, the fourth highest in the division, with eight goals conceded from set pieces.
Abraham will help you in this department. “One of the things people didn’t understand about him when I brought him in was how good he was at defending from set pieces,” Smith said.
“We put him at the near post and he was scoring every corner out with a header. He not only scored goals, but he definitely helped us defensively from set-pieces.” Preventing goals could prove to be just as valuable as scoring them.
Abraham’s return is filled with nostalgia, but his signature is aimed at impact, not emotion. Villa need depth and quality now more than ever, and if he can rediscover the same sharpness that took Villa to promotion, his second spell could play another important role in the club’s history.
His role — whether in the rotation or thrust into the starting lineup — is up for debate, but it serves as a reminder of how far the team has come and where it’s going next.
Watch Aston Villa vs Brentford live on Sky Sports Premier League on Sunday 1 February from 12:30pm. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
