It was a big night for Jaden Philogene as he was drafted in by Unai Emery for Aston Villa’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, and the talented youngster didn’t disappoint.
The 22-year-old’s only previous start for Villa came against Barrow in the League Cup in 2021, and having had a spell away from the club since before being brought back by Emery this past summer, he faced the biggest test of his career yet against the Bundesliga giants.
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Philogene, and Villa as a whole, were nervous in the opening stages of our showdown with Bayern, as it showed in our rushed and inaccurate start with the visitors dominating possession and dictating tempo.
However, having given ourselves time to settle in and start to grow into the game, the reasoning behind Philogene’s selection became increasingly apparent, albeit Leon Bailey’s fitness issues were also a key factor.
Nevertheless, our talented young winger initially showcased his versatility and adaptability as he switched wings due to Jacob Ramsey’s injury, and after initially looking slightly confused over his positioning as part of our defensive structure, he started to impact the game and play a pivotal role as part of our defensive shape to limit Bayern’s threat.
He ended the game with 33 touches and 10 of 14 passes completed, which illustrates his limited impact from an attacking perspective, but the same could be said of most of the Villa players. It was clear though that Philogene’s assignment was largely based on his defensive work, as he won eight of 13 ground duels, made five tackles, three interceptions and one clearance.
His work in helping to nullify the threat of Bayern’s full-backs as they overlapped and pushed forward into advanced areas was critical to our ability to keep a clean sheet, as he showed brilliant work ethic and determination, but also understanding and awareness of his instructions to carry out his job as effectively as possible.
Morgan Rogers conceded after the encounter that part of Emery’s gameplan was to allow Bayern to have possession in certain areas, before applying pressure as they advanced. Philogene was excellent in knowing when to go and when to stay patient to emerge as a critical presence out wide.
“He’s really important for us and the match he played today was fantastic,” Emery said of him after the game. “One player more added in the structure we will need for next matches. He did a fantastic job.”
It will be interesting to see how prominent a role Philogene plays in the coming weeks and months, but as Villa continue to compete across multiple competitions, there will be rotation and subsequently opportunities for him to play.
What was clear after Wednesday night though, was that he repaid the faith shown in him by Emery on such a big occasion, as he showed maturity and composure to not let the magnitude of the game overawe him in any way, albeit after a jittery start to the clash.
That in turn will stand him in good stead moving forward as he’ll have learned a lot from the experience, and it’s hoped that he can not only be an impactful piece as part of our structure when required, but also as he grows in confidence and belief, he can start to express himself more and combines that with showcasing his attacking quality and making a key contribution when called upon.
