Aston Villa return to action in the Premier League with Manchester City posing as the next challenge for the Villans, leaving one player with a job to do at the Etihad.
Unai Emery will hope to see his side build on their win against Wolves last week as Aston Villa prepare to battle Manchester City this evening.
Going into the fixture at the Etihad Stadium, not many would’ve predicted that the two sides would represent the third and fourth-best teams currently in the Premier League.
With five points between them, it’s a must-win for Pep Guardiola’s side who won’t want to stray away from the title race, while the Villans will be eyeing three points to capitalise on Tottenham’s draw last night.
The stakes are high ahead of the Midlands club’s trip to Manchester and now Emery will hope to see one of his players step up in his newly assumed role.
Youri Tielemans must step up this evening against Man City
In his pre-match press conference, the manager confirmed that Ollie Watkins will be absent after sustaining a “small injury” against Wolves in what will be a significant loss for Villa.
Another key absence is that of Jacob Ramsey, whose return to action has stalled at a time when his side are dangerously short in midfield.
With Boubacar Kamara out for the season and John McGinn suspended, it will likely be up to Youri Tielemans to once again partner Douglas Luiz in the middle.
Against Wolves, the Belgian showed his quality in possession however, the Etihad test will provide the 26-year-old with a significantly different challenge.
How Youri Tielemans can make the difference against Man City
Lauded as “excellent” on international duty for his impact against England, Tielemans’ quality has never been questioned however, at present, he is needed for a different reason than usual.
The former Leicester City star was hailed for his attacking display at Wembley although at Villa he must allow his attacking quality to momentarily take the back seat.
Considering Villa’s injuries, it’s integral that the Belgium international focuses on his defensive actions in the middle of the park to balance the engine room in the absence of McGinn and Kamara.
While Tielemans is used to playing in central midfield, the £150k-a-week gem has been criticised for his lack of presence defensively alongside Luiz, with his performance against West Ham highlighted.
The 26-year-old was accused of being “bullied” in midfield against the Hammers, something that can’t be remotely replicated tonight against arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world, Rodri.
As highlighted by WhoScored, out of Villa’s central midfielders, Tielemans averages the lowest rate of tackles per game with 1.2, fewer than Kamara, McGinn and Luiz, telling of where the Belgian must compromise this evening to impose himself.
It’s expected that Luiz will use his expertise to combat the presence that is the Spaniard although, responsibility will lie on Tielemans to snub out the treble winners’ threat from midfield.
Against West Ham, Villa’s number eight was caught drifting out of position to push forward and play the style of game he loves, an approach that must be forgotten if Villa are to have a chance against City.
