Strange Unai Emery tactical Aston Villa decision justified as John McGinn delivers masterclass v Fulham
Aston Villa stretched their stunning Premier League unbeaten run to ten games with a comfortable 1-0 win over Fulham at Villa Park on Tuesday [25 April].
Unai Emery’s side were looking to get back to winning ways on Tuesday having dropped points away at Brentford last weekend, and they were able to do just that with a fairly composed victory over the West Londoners.
Tyrone Mings found the back of the net after 21 minutes with a perfectly-placed header from John McGinn’s stunning cross in what was a totally dominant first-half performance.
The in-form Ollie Watkins looked a constant threat throughout and came close with a couple of efforts but Mings’ goal was enough to seal another vital three points.
The result means Aston Villa have now picked up the most wins (13) and the second-most points (42) of any Premier League side since Emery’s arrival in November – where they sat just a few points from the bottom.
It’s been a remarkable transformation under the Spaniard in just a matter of months, with the former Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain boss proving the club with a clear tactical identity and resilience – albeit under strange tactical and positional responsibilities.
And one of those decisions has been based around the positions of several of his key stars, currently due to a lack of attacking options in the wide areas and that is evidently been seen through McGinn and Jacob Ramsey – both utilised in unfamiliar wide roles in recent weeks.
However, both players have taken on such responsibilities like a duck to water, aiding the club’s stupendous resurgence in the Premier League but more crucially, strengthening their own profiles and importance under the Spaniard.
And Scottish international McGinn has arguably proven the most tactically refined and positionally dominant of the lot after another masterclass against Fulham.
As per Sofascore, the former Hearts midfielder would earn an impressive 7.6/10 rating for his performance on Tuesday, which was the best of any player to feature in the game from both sides.
As well as notching the assist, the 28-year-old managed an impressive three key passes, completing 16/18 on the night with a solid success rate of 89% and also registering 11 final third passes.
The Scotland international looks to have rediscovered his best form in his new role as a right-winger in Emery’s side and was a constant menace to Fulham’s defence, as he completed two dribbles and was fouled a remarkable six times.
However, attacking efforts aren’t the be-all and end-all of an Emery tactical setup, players are demanded to help out defensively too and that’s where McGinn exceptionally performs contributing two clearances, eight ball recoveries and winning nine of his 14 ground duels [SofaScore] in yet another complete masterclass performance.
Emery’s tactical decision to shunt him out to the right flank may seem strange to some, but to McGinn, it’s another impressive string to his positional bow as he has certainly provided Aston Villa with the perfect tactical balance both defensively and in the attacking sense.
His stats on Tuesday show how crucial and effective he is despite the role.
In other Aston Villa news, this “outstanding” outfielder is expected to quit the club for good in the summer transfer window.