Douglas Luiz once again proves the vital ingredient in Aston Villa European charge
Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz struck late at Brentford on Saturday [22 April] to cancel out Ivan Toney’s opener and preserve their impressive unbeaten run under Unai Emery’s management.
Villa have not lost since 18 February, going from the bottom half of the Premier League to contention for European qualification after being rejuvenated by the Spaniard.
However, it was an average and drab performance from the Villans as they struggled to match Brentford’s intensity throughout the whole game, and their unbeaten run was under threat when Toney pounced on Ashley Young’s error at the far post.
As the Bees retreated towards their own penalty area as the minutes ticked down, they were made to pay the price as Villa’s Brazilian hero Luiz seized on a loose ball in the box to fire past David Raya and earn his side a much-needed point.
The result sees Emery’s men move five points behind fourth-placed Newcastle who face off against Tottenham Hotspur in a crucial top-four clash on Sunday [23 April].
While the Spaniard will be reeling at the performance of his stars after their average performance in West London, the Villans will certainly have the former Manchester City midfielder Luiz to thank who once again proved just how pivotal he is to the Aston Villa cause in an assured and consummate showing in the middle of the park.
In fact, the Brazilian is amongst the best Villa players this season statistically. He ranks second throughout the team for assists (5), second for key passes per game (1.2), second for passing success rate out of any Villa player to start more than 10 times in the Premier League and has also registered the second-most interceptions in the Villa squad [WhoScored].
The 24-year-old is an ever-present outlet at Villa Park, featuring in 31 of their 32 games in the English top flight highlighting his incredible durability and match fitness. Against Brentford, he was at his brilliant best once again despite the all-around Aston Villa performance.
The Brazilian international picked up the third-best SofaScore rating (7.6/10) of any player to start the match and the best of any Aston Villa performer.
He recorded 69 touches, successfully completed 42 of his 50 passes at a rate of 84%, completed three of his four crosses, registered one key pass as per SofaScore and impressively won seven of his 12 ground duels in a fairly dominant midfield performance.
With the club desperately looking to end the season on high with a top-half finish, Luiz’s continued brilliance in the middle of the park will prove crucial for Emery and the Villans throughout the rest of the campaign.
In other Aston Villa news, we can exclusively reveal that Manchester United are set to sign this highly-rated Villa player.