Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has heaped praise onto Unai Emery, along with the club, in a recent interview.
Speaking with Brazilian outlet Placar TV on their YouTube channel, Douglas Luiz expressed his feelings toward Villa.
Luiz, who had been linked with an Arsenal move over the past year, said “Villa is a great club, the decision I made (to stay) was correct.”
Of course, this is in relation to the new contract he signed in October to remain at Villa Park.
Like many of the Villa side, Luiz enjoyed a rapid rise in form, leading Luiz to define his own campaign, saying “I had a great season.” This followed the departure of Steven Gerrard and the arrival of Unai Emery.
The 25-year-old praised the Spaniard for guiding him to his best ever season.
He said, “The arrival of Unai Emery helped a lot in my evolution. It was my best season and I’m very happy about it..”
The Brazilian had such an impressive campaign that he was named the Villans Supporters’ Player of the Season. This award came thanks to his wonderful displays from midfield in which he played 40 games.
Even though it wasn’t his job, the midfielder still contributed to the attacking department, notching up seven goals in all competitions, along with six assists.
What Luiz brings to Villa
Luiz is an all-action midfielder, the classic box-to-box type who is also capable of sitting deeper as a six.
This is evident when glancing at his FBRef profile which demonstrates how rounded he is.
He excels in the attacking third, creating 2.95 shot-creating actions per 90, along with being in the 85th percentile for assists amongst his positional peers.
Luiz is also impressive in areas further back on the pitch. Completing 1.48 progressive carries per 90 along with completing 82.5% of his passes, he is a true all-rounder.
What is most interesting, however, are the similarities between Luiz and Villa new boy, Youri Tielemans.
It will be interesting how Unai Emery sets them up with such an overlap in skillset.
