Pau Torres standing up to the challenge of Aston Villa's physical demands

The centre-back is the only outfield player to have played every minute of the first seven league matches for Unai Emery’s team this term.

Torres, currently away on international duty with Spain, says increasing his strength has been a key target since joining Villa for £31million in the summer of 2023 and a focus of his individual work on the training ground.

He said: “It’s something that since I arrived there I’ve tried to work on individually with Rodri, one of the coach’s assistants, and I’m adapting better and better.

“The Premier League demands that every weekend you face world-class strikers and I think I’m adapting well and I feel confident.”

Torres, who joined from Villarreal where he previously worked under Emery, was forced to make a quicker than expected adaption to English football when Tyrone Mings suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first day of the 2023-24 campaign.

He went on to become an integral part of the team which finished fourth in the league and believes Villa can match that performance again this season.

Asked about the differences between the Premier League and La Liga, he said: “Above all there is much more rhythm.

“The fact that they don’t call so many fouls means that the players, as they know that they are not going to call them, do not try to force anything and that makes the rhythm more fluid, faster, and also the fans, who encourage running.

“When you win the ball back there is that rumble in the stands and Unai had a hard time getting people to adapt to his style of play. Now we’ve achieved it, people know what we’re playing and they’re a little more patient.”