Sam Stone

Fri 30 December 2022 13:36, UK

Jacob Ramsey is set to be missing for Aston Villa as Unai Emery’s side travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur in their next Premier League fixture.

The 21-year-old has yet again been impressive in the 2022/23 season and has proven to be a live-wire for Villa in attacking midfield in recent weeks.

Against Manchester United, the youngster was unplayable at times and played a huge part in Villa’s 3-1 win to get Emery’s rein at Villa Park off to a positive start. Villa will welcome back Emi Martinez for the trip to Spurs, but Ramsey is to remain sidelined after picking up a hamstring issue (Birmingham Live, 28 December).

John McGinn is likely to start again in a more advanced role, with either Philippe Coutinho or Emi Buendia taking up the other attacking midfield spot in Ramsey’s absence. So what exactly are Villa missing with the 21-year-old sidelined?

Firstly, let’s take a look at who could be best suited to take on replace Ramsey in terms of the attacking side of game which he offers Emery’s side.

According to Wyscout, Ramsey is Villa’s most productive midfielder in terms of his shot accuracy, with Ramsey amassing 41 per cent so this season, which is twice as good as Buendia and 12 per cent higher than McGinn. However Coutinho is averaging two shots a game more than Ramsey, with only a marginall lower accuracy rate. Therefore, if Emery wishes to maintain a threat from outside the box, the Brazilian could well be the man to choose.

Another area where Ramsey has excelled in the 2022/23 season is with his close control in tight areas on the pitch. He currently has a 62 per cent dribble success rate, which is the highest out of all of Villa’s attacking midfielders. Interestingly, Coutinho and Buendia have lower success’ rates than McGinn, who has enjoyed operating in a more advanced role.

The Scot’s ability to retain possession means he is likely to be picked by Emery, with there potentially being a toss up between Buendia and Coutinho. Ramsey hasn’t been in the team for his defensive work in recent weeks, but McGinn again provides Villa with a better defensive option compared to Coutinho and Buendia.

Another aspect of Ramsey’s play which has caught the eye is his eagerness to carry the ball forward as much as possible. At the moment, he is managing 2.3 progressive runs (carrying the ball over 30 meters) per game, which is closely matched by Coutinho (2.45).

If Emery wishes to maintain a counterattacking a direct edge to his team, then including the former Liverpool man could prove to the most like for like replacement.

Ramsey hasn’t been in the team for his defensive work in recent weeks and with McGinn also operating in a similar position, it could allow the likes of Coutinho to push forward and play with slightly more freedom. It would be a bold move by the Villa boss, but starting the Brazilian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could reap plenty of rewards.

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