Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has praised Youri Tielemans after the midfield ace has made a fantastic start to the new season.
Aside from his goal and two assists in just five appearances to start the campaign, the 27-year-old has been a hugely influential presence in our midfield as he has become our chief orchestrator in the pivot alongside his compatriot Amadou Onana.
With his technical ability, composure, vision and passing range, coupled with the tenacity and work ethic off the ball that he offers, Tielemans has been integral thus far to implementing our style of play and to give Emery the level of control in midfield that he demands.
It has been a crucial positive for us in the early stages of the year, especially after losing Douglas Luiz this past summer, and Emery is delighted with how Tielemans has settled into his new role and is showcasing his quality on a consistent basis by firmly establishing himself as a key cog in this Villa side now.
“Youri Tielemans, when we signed him last year, we were doing a plan with him,” Emery told reporters, as per BirminghamLive. “Of course, last year, he was more or less replacing Douglas Luiz and sometimes playing together, but when we were trying to get balance in our structure, we were playing with Kamara and Douglas Luiz.
“He played in different positions, a number eight or number 10, he was playing well because he is very intelligent. But his best position is number eight. Now, after Luiz has left, the position he is playing with us is where he is feeling better with his capacity and qualities. We are very happy because he is a very good guy, he is a very professional guy, his commitment with his teammates is fantastic and he loves football.
“He is always ready to play and ready to learn on everything we are learning. He was struggling at Leicester and I don’t know exactly why. They were relegated two years ago and they were not playing well.  I think he is again comfortable and feeling happy, in his position feeling good in our structure and ideas.
“We will need him and Ross Barkley, whose adaptation is getting better and better. I will use both players this year a lot of times, maybe even playing together sometimes.”
It’s clear from his interviews and social media activity that Tielemans is also an important voice in the dressing room, as he’s emerged as one of the experienced leaders of the group and is seemingly relishing that responsibility and role.
Emery makes an important point though in that he will need to rotate and rest his players over the course of what is likely to be a gruelling and challenging season, and so Barkley will have a key part to play too having arrived from Luton Town over the summer.
We’ve seen that they can be effective as a pairing when required as well, as when Villa are dominating a game in terms of possession, they can add that extra creativity and tempo in deeper areas in midfield as a duo to help us build sustained pressure, and so it’s an important tactical solution that will be crucial this year.
Nevertheless, it’s been a joy to watch Tielemans operate through the opening five games, and while he will of course have dips in form as the campaign progresses, there is no doubt that he is a fixture of this Villa team when available, and it’s hoped that he can continue to pull the strings and play an influential role in our success this season and beyond.
