Unai Emery has done wonders at Aston Villa.
Yes, Villa have lost four games in a row and are currently going through a sticky spell, but his overall job has been quite outstanding.
One of the great things Emery has done at Aston Villa is improve player after player.
Let’s be honest, Steven Gerrard left a mess at Villa, but the man replacing him embarrassed him by using the majority of that squad and guiding them to the Champions League.
Whether they were Dean Smith signings, players brought in by Gerrard or those who Emery has purchased himself.
They had one thing in common and that’s improving tenfold and taking their game to the next level.
But, according to WhoScored, one Villa star is in the top ten most improved players in the Premier League this season and ahead of some big names.
Youri Tielemans more improved than Mohamed Salah and Mateo Kovacic
Villa signed Youri Tielemans last summer on a free transfer and he took his time to settle in, before becoming a regular in the middle of the park.
That was probably the team’s strongest suit – the midfield – and a key reason why Champions League football is played at Villa Park.
Yes, this season, that midfield balance and consistency has been lost because of Douglas Luiz leaving for Juventus and Boubacar Kamara recently returning from a long-term injury.
But there has been one constant and that’s the performances of Tielemans, with WhoScored ranking him the fourth most improved played in the Premier League this term.
The Belgium international is ahead of players like Mohamed Salah, Mateo Kovacic and Danny Welbeck.
With Liverpool top of the Premier League table, it isn’t a surprise that Ryan Gravenberch is also on this list, with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba at the top.
Tielemans’ stats for Aston Villa
Ask many fans and they will probably tell you that Tielemans has been Villa’s best player this season, with Emi Martinez, Lucas Digne and Morgan Rogers the only challengers.
Even with the inconsistent performances around him, he is still producing the goods at a high level, whether it be in the Premier League or Europe’s elite competition.
If Villa are to get back to their best, then Tielemans needs to continue to shine, with WhoScored rating his performances, for club and country, at 7.03.
| Tournament | Apps | Goals | Assists | AvgP | KeyP | SpG | PS% | Tackles | MotM | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions League | 4 | 1 | 1 | 52.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 85.8 | 2.5 | 1 | 7.31 |
| Premier League | 11 | – | 3 | 59.5 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 86.6 | 2.4 | 2 | 7.16 |
| UEFA Nations League A Belgium | 4 | 1 | – | 39.5 | 2 | 1.8 | 80.4 | 1 | – | 6.68 |
| European Championship Belgium | 2(1) | 1 | – | 36 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 88 | 0.7 | – | 6.66 |
| Int. Friendly Belgium | 2 | 2 | N/A | – | – | N/A | N/A | – | N/A | – |
| Total / Average | 24 | 5 | 4 | 51.5 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 85.5 | 1.9 | 3 | 7.03 |
