As he continues to enjoy his most productive season to date, Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has praised Unai Emery for his role in his progress.
The 25-year-old has been with us for almost five years now, and he has matured and developed as a player significantly over that period, but never more so than under the tutelage of Emery.
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From the 2019/20 campaign to the 2021/22 season, Luiz tallied five goals and eight assists in 111 appearances. While Emery joined in October 2022, the Brazilian midfielder has contributed 17 goals and 16 assists in 82 outings over the last two seasons.
Coupled with his increasing level of influence and impact on our overall play with his technical ability and quality to dictate tempo and possession for us, Luiz has evolved into a fundamental figure under the Spaniard, and is now a pillar of this Villa side.
While the arrival of Boubacar Kamara was a pivotal moment for him in that they’ve struck a critical balance in the heart of our midfield whereby the Frenchman allows Luiz to play with more freedom in advanced areas, Emery’s tactical influence and input has been integral to how our Brazilian midfield playmaker now pulls the strings.
He emphasised that point this week while on international duty as he also now enjoys being part of the senior Brazil set-up, as he noted that he is relishing the opportunity and responsibility to play with more freedom and be more influential in the final third.
“I feel very comfortable after Emery’s arrival,” Luiz said, via UOL. “With the previous coaches I was six or the five. With him I have more freedom, exactly the way I like to play.
“I scored 10 goals and have 10 assists this season. The training makes it more comfortable. I talked to Dorival [Brazil manager] about the way he would like me to play. Freedom is very good for adding goals and assists.”
It’s hoped that Luiz can continue to play a key role for us in the coming weeks and months as we look to finish the season in strong fashion and ultimately achieve our objectives of a top-four finish in the Premier League, and potentially lift silverware in the form of the Europa Conference League.
He’ll have to show another side to his game in the more immediate future though as with Kamara injured and John McGinn suspended, we’ll need to lean on Luiz even more, as both our midfield lynchpin in terms of what he does on the ball, but also as a leading figure and presence in the engine room of the side to set the standard.
Emery often speaks about how demanding he is, not only of Luiz but of his entire squad, but it’s clear that the midfielder plays an essential role for us and is one of the more important pieces in the puzzle. The Villa boss is regularly heard bellowing Luiz’s name during games as he wants him to orchestrate for him and ultimately be his influence on the pitch, and there’s certainly confidence that he’ll answer the ongoing calls given how far he’s come over the last few years in a Villa shirt.
