Unai Emery could have a dilemma with selection for the remainder of Aston Villa’s season, as Jacob Ramsey’s performance against Manchester United sent warning messages to both Moussa Diaby and Youri Tielemans.
Aston Villa have entered a mild dip in form of late, losing three out of their previous four fixtures, all of which came at Villa Park.
Unai Emery will be expected to assess what has been going wrong for his squad in recent weeks, particularly after being narrowly overtaken by Tottenham in the race for 4th place.
Sunday afternoon’s defeat to Manchester United was a bitter pill for the Villans to swallow, losing in the dying embers to Erik ten Hag’s side for the second time this season.
Despite falling narrowly short against the Red Devils, there were some positives for the manager to take from the loss, one of which being the resurgence of Jacob Ramsey.
How Jacob Ramsey performed against Manchester United
Previously lauded as “terrific” by Steven Gerrard, who handed the Bodymoor Heath academy product a shot at senior level at his boyhood club, the talent of Ramsey has always been known at Villa Park.
After suffering a broken metatarsal in the summer, the 22-year-old was forced to sit on the sidelines for a long period, leaving his place in the XI up for grabs in his absence.
Earning a starting spot playing just behind Ollie Watkins against Manchester United, Ramsey showed just why he is so highly rated at Villa, being amongst the majority of the positive actions in the final third.
The Englishman recorded five shots in the game and was unlucky not to score in certain situations, an opinion shared by his manager.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day 2 after the game, Emery touched upon Ramsey’s performance.
“He played a very good match. He had some chances to score a goal and maybe that is the next step that he has to do. We need him and we’re very happy that he played 90 minutes today. I was wishing we would score one goal through him but we’re hoping for the next match.”
It will take some time for the academy product to hit his full potential after spending a significant time away from the action, although the early signs of his return could be seen as alarming for others in the squad.
What the return of Jacob Ramsey could mean for Aston Villa
Prior to Ramsey’s full return, the spot behind Watkins was reserved for either Moussa Diaby or Youri Tielemans, who have competed against each other for the starting place in recent weeks.
While Diaby has suffered a dip in form, and Tielemans has had a slow start to life at Villa, the duo’s competition between each other could be eclipsed by Ramsey, who is a player clearly valued by the manager.
With the likes of John McGinn and Leon Bailey having their places in the attack cemented due to recent form, it could be a worrying time for both the Frenchman and the Belgian with Ramsey re-emerging, with the potential there for a further switch in the pecking order.
