It’s been a whirlwind few months for Aston Villa who have started the season in exceptional style.
Unai Emery’s men have taken 17 points from a possible 24 in the Premier League to sit in fourth position while dominating in Europe’s elite competition.
Aston Villa sit top of the Champions League group after winning their first three games without conceding, most recently seeing off Bologna 2-0.
It was an emotional night for many involved with the club, as Tyrone Mings received a warm welcome from Villa fans, and Boubacar Kamara returned to the pitch eight months after his injury against Man United.
There was one negative to come from the game, though, as Emery confirmed that Amadou Onana was substituted after suffering pain.
Luckily, a fresh update has since emerged on the Belgium which fulfils the hope of him featuring against Bournemouth this weekend.
Amadou Onana has trained ahead of Bournemouth clash
Emery subbed Onana off at half-time in their win over Bologna, with Ross Barkley coming on in his place.
This isn’t the first time that the 23-year-old has been taken off at the interval, as he was also substituted in the 3-2 win against his former club in September.
This time, however, the decision to replace him for Barkley wasn’t tactical, and the Spaniard instead didn’t want to risk Onana suffering through more pain.
With a fixture against Bournemouth to come on Saturday, it raised doubts over his inclusion in the squad but an update from journalist John Townley has alleviated those worries.
Townley revealed on X that Onana has since trained with the group at Bodymoor Heath in preparation for the Bournemouth match, one Gary Neville predicts Villa to win 2-1.
Onana’s exceptional Premier League stats
It wouldn’t be the end of the world if Onana wasn’t fit to play against the Cherries, as Emery can call upon Barkley – who has impressed so far – and the returning Kamara.
However, the statistics explain why the Belgian powerhouse plays such an important role in midfield alongside Youri Tielemans.
He offers the Villans exceptional defensive protection, winning 3.27 tackles and recording two interceptions per game while also winning 1.64 of his aerial duels per 90.
Onana hasn’t just offered incredible ball-winning attributes since arriving at Villa Park, he’s proven to be a goal threat, registering 0.36 non-penalty goals and 0.20 non-penalty xG.
In terms of how this ranks him against other Premier League midfielders, the former Everton star stands out in most areas.
| Amadou Onana Premier League per 90 stats 2024/25 | Percentile rank vs midfielders |
| 0.36 non-penalty goals | Top 4% |
| 0.20 non-penalty xG | Top 10% |
| 90.1% pass completion | Top 10% |
| 3.27 tackles | Top 13% |
| 2.00 interceptions | Top 10% |
| 1.64 aerials won | Top 10% |
Despite only arriving at Villa in the summer, Emery has transformed him into a machine and hopefully, he’s available to start this weekend.
