Aston Villa returned to ways on Saturday afternoon against Fulham thanks to two goals from Ollie Watkins, although journalist John Townley had a lot of praise for another Villan.
Aston Villa recorded a much-needed victory in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, restoring Unai Emery’s side to the top four.
The 2-1 victory over Fulham gave the squad the confidence needed to look forward to the final 13 games of the 2023/24 league calendar, after suffering a tough week prior to the match.
Losing Boubacar Kamara to Villa’s third ACL injury of the season on top of dropping points to Manchester United at Villa Park put a spanner in the works, providing the manager with another obstacle to overcome.
Thankfully, the Spaniard showcased once more just how adaptable his squad is, despite the ruthless amount of injuries sustained this term.
What John Townley said about John McGinn after Fulham win
One of the players who was forced to adapt to a change in position was John McGinn, who was the man selected to fill the void left by Kamara in midfield alongside Douglas Luiz.
The Villa captain put on an exemplary showing at Craven Cottage, seeing journalist John Townley make a bold statement about the 29-year-old’s tireless display when speaking on the Claret & Blue podcast.
“There’s no player that I’d rather have on that pitch than John McGinn in that last 10 minutes of the game. He was everywhere, he was like a man possessed trying to win the ball back just putting his body on the line.”
“He was an example of what we have to do for the rest of the season basically.”
How important John McGinn is to Aston Villa
Townley wasn’t the only figure who was impressed by the Scots performance against Fulham, as he showed just how vital he is to the Villans.
Speaking after the victory, Emery gave a special shoutout to the club captain for his ability to step up when his side needed him most.
“It’s the moment for other players being versatile. Today was John McGinn playing as a central midfielder. He is one of the leaders of the team. We needed his commitment and he played a fantastic match.”
Usually, McGinn is fielded on the flank to support in the advanced areas of the pitch, with his assumed role on Saturday vastly different from his norm.
Still, the 29-year-old displayed why he is so highly valued at Villa and why he adorns the armband, showing his combative side to compliment the midfield by making three tackles.
Considering the injuries that the Villans have suffered this season, it’s players like McGinn that portray their importance in times of need, with the Scotland international versatile enough to excel wherever he is required.
Many would agree with Townley’s comment on not wanting any player over the Villa skipper in the latter stages of the game, who exerts tireless energy despite popping up everywhere over 90 minutes.
