Having predominantly been used in a deeper midfield role so far this season, Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans thrived in a more advanced position this weekend.
The 27-year-old has stepped up this year, particularly having had to take on the additional responsibilities in the team after Douglas Luiz’s departure, and for the most part, his performances have been a joy to watch.
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From his technical ability to his tactical and positional awareness and his ability to control games and set the tempo for us, he has been a fundamental cog for Unai Emery in playing his preferred style of play, and it seems as though that’s the case regardless of the role he has in the Villa starting XI.
With his elegant first touch, ability to twist and turn out of pressure and break free of a press to release the ball quickly and efficiently to our attacking players in space to drive at the opposition’s backline, he is a key piece in making us tick and helping us transition from defence to attack with speed and intent.
Despite being asked to play further up the pitch on Saturday in our win over Manchester City, Tielemans was still able to pull the strings for us in that area, while combining his quality in possession with tenacity and aggressiveness without the ball to play his part in our disciplined and organised defensive display too.
It promises to be a crucial alternative solution for Villa, as we arguably looked more balanced than we have in weeks, with Amadou Onana coming in to partner Boubacar Kamara in the deep midfield pivot, with Tielemans ahead of them and flourishing.
That combination of Onana and Kamara gives us a solid base to build on which simultaneously shields the backline, while Tielemans can utilise his creativity and attacking flair higher up the pitch with less of a defensive burden on his shoulders.
We saw evidence of that with his brilliant through ball to Morgan Rogers who set up Jhon Duran for our opening goal against City, and after another superb shift, the Belgian international was deservedly awarded the Man of the Match award.
It proved to be a winning formula this weekend, and as Emery continues to evolve this side and look for different solutions, be it down to poor form or absentees, it’s another important option at his disposal, and it’s Tielemans once again reiterating his importance to this Villa team by providing the answer.