Nachrichten
The second international break is a period of reflection and Unai Emery will be pleased with what he’s seen from his Aston Villa players so far.
Aston Villa have carried on from where they left off last term, establishing themselves as contenders for the European places in the Premier League.
Following their drab goalless draw against Manchester United, Unai Emery’s men have now secured four wins and two draws while their only defeat was to Arsenal in August.
The Villans have also made a brilliant start to life in the Champions League, thrashing Young Boys 3-0 before recording a famous 1-0 win over Bayern Munich.
The international break is always a good time to reflect and take stock, so with that in mind, here is a look at the two highest-rated, and the two lowest-rated players in the Premier League this season (90 minutes played or more).
Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne are the highest-rated Aston Villa players
Villa have had several standout performers in the opening two months of the season. Morgan Rogers has looked ‘unplayable’, Ollie Watkins has returned to his scintillating best while Emi Martinez has continued to produce world-class performances.
Remarkably, neither of that trio sit at the top of the list of highest-rated Villa players, as according to Sofascore, that accolade belongs to Youri Tielemans.
The Belgian has been an instrumental performer in central midfield and is one of the first names on the team sheet. Therefore, it is perhaps no surprise that he’s been rated as Villa’s best player this term, coming in at 7.5.
MORE VILLA STORIES
The 27-year-old continues to impress as a deep-lying playmaker alongside Lucas Digne, with the Frenchman placed second with a rating of 7.06, just ahead of Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey (7).
Digne is another who has been brilliant for Emery with the £25m man nailing down the left-back spot, despite the arrival of Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.
Diego Carlos and Ian Maatsen are the lowest-rated Aston Villa players
Given Villa’s position in the Premier League, just outside of the Champions League spots, it’s difficult to pinpoint many players who have had a bad start to the season but Diego Carlos is arguably one.
Carlos was lambasted for his poor displays against Young Boys and Ipswich Town however, the Brazilian has appeared to turn a corner in recent weeks.
The 31-year-old was outstanding alongside Pau Torres against Bayern Munich and was solid in the 0-0 draw with Man United.
Despite his recent upturn in form, particularly at the weekend, Carlos is still Villa’s worst performer of the season with a score of 6.60.
The second worst on the list is Emi Buendia with a rating of 6.65 but as he’s only played 27 minutes of action in the Premier League, it’s unfair to include the Argentine.
Perhaps surprisingly, Maatsen is next lowest on the list however, that doesn’t paint the picture of his impact.
The Dutchman has come off the bench on seven occasions this term, playing a total of 133 minutes, but he’s looked impressive every time he’s been introduced.
Maatsen deserves to start for Aston Villa after the international break, which is why his score of 6.69 should be taken with a pinch of salt, as it isn’t a fair reflection of his performances.
Related Topics