Youri Tielemans must start in Aston Villa v Chelsea, has repaid Unai Emery faith
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Thu 25 April 2024 20:10, UK
Youri Tielemans has become an incredible asset under Unai Emery and must be in the starting XI as Aston Villa face Chelsea on Saturday (27 April).
The former Leicester City midfielder struggled for game time initially following his switch to Villa Park last summer, having to wait until November 2023 for his first Premier League start under Emery.
His initial performances led to many questioning the signing of Tielemans and whether he even had a long-term future at Villa.
Despite this, the Villa boss has remained patient with the 26-year-old, and that looks to have paid off recently, especially after Douglas Luiz was suspended for racking up 10 yellow cards in the league.
A yellow card against Brentford saw the Brazilian miss crucial matches against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and Bournemouth at home, which could have been detrimental to the club's Champions League hopes.
With Boubacar Kamara also unavailable due to a long-term injury, John McGinn and Tielemans have linked up in the middle of the park, and the latter has been incredibly impressive.
Youri Tielemans repays Unai Emery trust at Aston Villa As per FotMob, the Belgian midfielder was named Man of the Match against Arsenal, having assisted Ollie Watkins' goal to seal a 2-0 win.
His sixth Premier League assist of the season will have come as no surprise, as he ranks in the top 99 percentile for assists among midfielders in Europe's top five leagues. [FBref]
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He played the full 90 minutes, maintaining an 88 per cent pass completion and a 100 per cent dribbling success, made eight recoveries and won 60 per cent of his ground duels.
Many worried that Villa's midfield would be severely weakened without Luiz. However, Tielemans stepped up to the plate and impressed further against the Cherries on Sunday 21 April.
He bettered his passing, finishing the match with 92 per cent accuracy, including 13 passes into the final third. The midfielder also boasted an 80 per cent accuracy with long balls, which continued to stretch Bournemouth across the pitch. [FotMob]
Youri Tielemans and John McGinn (of course) so, so impressive again. Like against Arsenal, the balance between off-the-ball aggression and composure on it is so highly skilled.
Watkins is just starting to get the better of Zabarnyi, too. #AVFC
- Jacob Tanswell (@J_Tanswell) April 21, 2024 View Tweet
With six recoveries, winning 83 per cent of his ground duels and 67 per cent of his aerial duels, Tielemans continued to be a nuisance. Keeping these stats and displays in mind, Emery would be silly to drop him ahead of the clash with Chelsea.
Considering that Enzo Fernandez's season is over due to injury, reported by Fabrizio Romano [25 April], Tielemans could have a field day in midfield if he is to keep his spot in the starting XI.
In other Aston Villa news, Emery is set to be handed an increased transfer budget after a boardroom development.
