Aston Villa and Everton have exchanged details a fair bit this summer via the transfer market as players have crossed paths.
Unai Emery’s side signed two Everton players- Amadou Onana and Lewis Dobbin – with Tim Iroegbunam moving in the other direction, all in separate deals.
Onana scored on debut to help Villa beat West Ham United, but hours earlier on Saturday, Iroegbunam’s Everton side endured a very difficult afternoon and start to the new Premier League campaign.
Sean Dyche’s men were well-beaten 3-0 at Goodison Park by Brighton and Hove Albion, with ex-Villa man Ashley Young seeing red and the game going from bad to worse for the Toffees.
As expected, with Onana out of the door and James Garner absent, Iroegbunam was handed his first start and debut in Everton colours.
There were a fair few Aston Villa connections out on the pitch because, on the other side, Premier League veteran James Milner, at the age of 38, was starting in the middle of the park.
Brighton ran Everton ragged, but Villa fans will be proud of Iroegbunam because he received rave reviews for his debut display.
The 21-year-old was up against it from the off because, after 25 minutes, Brighton were in front and they were causing havoc during the first period before Danny Welbeck doubled his side’s lead just before the hour mark and Simon Adingra added a third very late on.
Despite all this, Everton’s official Twitter account lauded Villa’s academy product for his display and how he was a ‘bright spark’ during a ‘tough afternoon’ for the team.
Amazingly, Iroegbunam made 13 ball recoveries during the match, ranking first among everyone else on the pitch, as he also made 13 tackles and interceptions, once again ranking first and carried the ball 26 times.
This won’t surprise Unai Emery or the supporters of his old club because Villa fans were pushing him to earn more minutes last term as the team were securing Champions League football.
Tim Iroegbunam shines on Everton debut despite Brighton defeat
Amadou Onana wins Man of the Match on Aston Villa debut
Onana was given a rating of 7.5 on his Villa debut as they beat West Ham, with the midfielder also handed Man of the Match by Sky Sports.
With Villa having to deal with PSR issues this summer, players like Iroegbunam were sold, so they could bring in Onana.
READ MORE: How Douglas Luiz fared on his competitive Juventus debut vs Como after leaving Aston Villa
Aston Villa are preparing for Champions League football and they are going to need every ounce of quality to shine out on that pitch.
Jamie Carragher has delivered a ‘massive’ Emery verdict in his Champions League prediction, with Villa set to learn who they will face in Europe’s elite competition when the draw takes place on August 29.
