Aston Villa supporters were devastated that Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus this summer but the Brazilian is quickly being forgotten about.
The sale of Luiz was essential for Aston Villa to carry out their transfer business as Unai Emery targeted reinforcements in midfield.
Amadou Onana – who arrived from Everton for £50 million – was the marquee signing in that position and the Belgian has quickly formed an excellent partnership with Youri Tielemans.
The dynamic duo have started in every match this term – including Aston Villa’s 3-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League – while one statistic shows the impact Emery has had on Onana.
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Amadou Onana’s statistics at Aston Villa compared to Everton
Onana was predominantly used as a midfield pivot during his time at Everton, with Sean Dyche adopting a defensive philosophy at Goodison Park.
The ‘terrific’ 23-year-old was still able to shine in the middle of the park but he was utilised as more of a midfield destroyer rather than a player capable of impacting the game further forward.
Now he’s managed by a world-class manager in Emery, Onana has been given the freedom to express himself and he’s already living up to the price tag.
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The former Lille midfielder has scored in Premier League wins over West Ham and Aston Villa while in last night’s Champions League clash against Young Boys, he fired in a stunning goal from range.
Onana’s early transformation into a goal-scoring machine has been nothing short of remarkable, with the Belgium international netting three goals from seven shots, as per Opta Analyst.
Compare that to his record at Everton, where he only found the net four times in 74 appearances and the difference is chalk and cheese.
Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans are crucial to Aston Villa
Emery signing Onana is a masterstroke as he already plays with his partner Tielemans on the international stage with Belgium.
Tielemans was ‘unplayable’ in the win over Young Boys and deservedly won the Man of the Match award for dominating in midfield.
The Aston Villa duo set the tone for their quality and pressing capacity centrally, with Onana and Tielemans both exceptional at winning the ball back while using possession smartly.
Emery’s midfield pairing possesses a perfect blend of passing ability, tenacity, strength and a goal-scoring threat from deep; four attributes that have seen Villa fans quickly forget about Luiz and instead fall in love with Onana.
