View: Leander Dendoncker flexibility to Aston Villa outlined in Belgium win
After Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez and Matty Cash both struggled in their World Cup openers, it fell on Leander Dendoncker to catch Unai Emery’s eye – and he did it in quite some style.
The midfielder was perhaps surprisingly picked to start for Belgium in their opening World Cup fixture against Canada, with Dendoncker producing an outstanding defensive display and all-round performance in their gritty 1-0 victory.
Playing on the right-hand side of Belgium’s three centre-backs, Roberto Martinez would have been thrilled with the maturity of the Villan and his composure when taking the ball in tight areas of the pitch when facing Canada’s aggressive press.
The 6ft 2in colossus was a threat in both boxes from set pieces and seemed untroubled by the immense pressure Canada placed on the Red Devils at times – registering 21 shots on goal compared to Belgium’s measly nine attempts. [Sofascore]
The 27-year-old’s value to Aston Villa may just start to slowly appear over the duration of the Qatar World Cup, following a tough opening stint in the West Midlands.
With his £13 million move from Wolves to Villa in the summer transfer window supposedly a fresh new start for the Belgian, Dendoncker would have hoped for a far more fruitful start to life in Claret and Blue.
The versatile midfielder has found first-team football scarce this season, only starting three times in the league and being dropped by Emery for his side’s final game before the World Cup.
But the ex-Wolves player was at the heart of everything good for Roberto Martinez’s side on Monday 23 November, having the second most touches on the pitch (91), recording a 97% passing accuracy and a 100% tackle success rate. [Sofascore]
It isn’t just out of possession that Emery would have paid close attention to, but more importantly, the smart work Dendoncker displayed on the ball – making three progressive passes, which was more than captain Eden Hazard managed.
If Dendoncker can continue this fine form and translate it back to the Premier League, Emery will be sorely tempted to play the Belgian in his starting XI despite the competition he faces.
His flexibility to shift from a central midfield position into a back-three could prove invaluable to Villa if they are looking to either park the bus, or transition into a more attacking formation.
And although Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, and Boubacar Kamara are all vying for the same midfield spot, the Belgian seems to have far more strings to his bow than these other alternatives.
With favourable fixtures awaiting Belgium against an ageing Croatia side and Morocco, Dendoncker will hope to continue this rich vein of form and force his way into Emery’s plans.
In other news, Aston Villa close in on deal for Linfield sensation Cole Brannigan