When Fulham defeated Aston Villa 3-0 in the early phases of the Premier League campaign, concern over the proud club's status had not been so profound since the shambolic 2015/16 season that saw a detrimental relegation to the Championship, where they languished for two years.
Steven Gerrard was dismissed from duty after the loss to the Cottagers; the Liverpool icon started with promise at Villa Park, but failed to develop a connection with the Villan fan base and was sacked after growing discontent following the summer seeped into the performances on the pitch.
With the appointment of Unai Emery, former Arsenal manager and four-time victor in the Europa League, the ship steered back on course and worries of a plummet into the second tier are now a fleeting memory.
Indeed, the Claret & Blue perch in 11th place in the top-flight after 27 matches, level on points with Chelsea in tenth and just four points away from European contention, though seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion hold two games in hand on Emery's outfit.
The leaps made have been emphatic, but Emery will be hoping to make the necessary increments over the current international break to forge a surging attempt for a spot in competition across the English Channel next year, and unleashing Bertrand Traore in the place of Leon Bailey for the remainder of the term could be an astute route to achieving such a coveted goal.
Should Emery unleash Bertrand Traore?
Traore was recalled from his loan spell at Turkish Super Lig club Istanbul Basaksehir in January, with Emery seemingly unconvinced with his attacking options amid the scope of his ambitious schemes.
Talisman Danny Ings never quite found his feet at Villa following his £25m move from Southampton, scoring 14 times from 52 outings before moving to West Ham United for £15m.
Traore offers a very different, perhaps more dynamic offensive threat and could be a perfect tool for Emery to wield over the business end of the campaign; with Ings' departure scarcely felt following centre-forward Ollie Watkins' recent purple patch, scoring six goals and serving one assist from his past eight Premier League outings.
With Traore on the right flank, Emery could indeed ditch the £25m Bailey, who has been said to be "struggling" recently by Birmingham Live's Ashley Preece.
Bailey has scored just one goal from his past 13 top-flight matches and has also been branded "clumsy" by the aforementioned Preece, but a new dimension to the attacking flow could pay dividends for Emery's Villa, who will need to make every fixture count if they are to close the gap on the upper end of the table.
Hailed as a "marvellous technician" by former Lions boss Dean Smith, whom Traore enjoyed his most productive season under on English soil, reaping seven goals and seven assists from 29 starting appearances in the 2020/21 Premier League, the 68-cap Burkina Faso international will indeed hope that a new man in the dugout could prompt a resurgence.
The £78k-per-week man could offer something different to the squad, and given that the cohesion is gelled and fluid right now, he has the perfect platform to reignite his career at the club and make a marked impact on the pursuit of a phenomenal finish to the season.
