While there was disappointment in midweek as Aston Villa were forced to wait for Nicolo Zaniolo’s debut, it proved to be worth the wait on Sunday.
UEFA regulations determined that the 24-year-old is ineligible to feature in our Europa Conference League play-off round, and so Unai Emery had to tweak his plans on Wednesday and gave his latest recruit his first minutes in our 3-1 win at Burnley instead.
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Zaniolo is already developing somewhat of a cult hero status given the backing he has received since being signed and the excitement amongst the Villa faithful about what he can bring to the side this season, and he didn’t disappoint in his first outing. Further, as seen in the video below, it also appears as though he’s a fan of his song from the supporters.
It was a brief 17-minute outing at Turf Moor, but the Italian international looked an immediate threat with his direct approach and powerful running, and he had two good chances to get on the scoresheet as he caused Burnley all sorts of problems.
He ended his cameo appearance with 14 touches, 89 percent passing accuracy, one key pass and two attempts at goal, and beyond the numbers, he brought a real energy and fresh impetus to our play despite the fact that we were already in a commanding position and on our way to all three points.
Importantly, he looked comfortable and settled almost instantly in our system and his specific role, as he linked up well with Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash in particular, and that will have pleased Emery perhaps more than anything as he looks for that all-important work ethic and understanding to control games.
Admittedly, it’s a very small sample size for now and while the return leg against Hibernian would have been an ideal game for Zaniolo to start in and build his match fitness and sharpness, we’ll have to wait to see if he’s involved against Liverpool at the weekend.
There’s still a long way to go and he’ll no doubt be striving for improvement as he continues to settle and integrate himself into the squad, but the early signs are certainly promising as he has a pivotal role to play for us this year and the responsibility on his shoulders could build further if Philippe Coutinho departs amid speculation over his future.
Villa already have a key void to fill after Emiliano Buendia’s injury, and while we still have quality in the final third, Zaniolo’s role will undoubtedly become more prominent the deeper we go into the campaign as we hope to be in contention for silverware on multiple fronts this season.
If he can stay healthy and find his best form, the Villa loanee has the potential to be a key figure in the side and one that Emery will no doubt get the best out of.
Promising debut ✅
Loving his song from Villa fans ✅🎶 Nicolo Zaniolooo#avfc #UTV 🟣🔵 pic.twitter.com/qhw4ZSyUM5
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) August 28, 2023
