Aston Villa ace Douglas Luiz shares stage with three club legends after Team of the Week place
Aston Villa can hold their heads high after their superb campaign, with the club looking very likely of clinching a European spot under Unai Emery.
The manager has completely turned things around at Villa Park, getting the best out of his players after their difficult start to the season.
And one player that has particularly shone is Douglas Luiz, with the Brazilian forming a very strong spine alongside the likes of central defenders Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa, and centre-forward Ollie Watkins.
The central midfielder has shone in terms of his passing and tackling ability, but has also added the hugely important trait of goal creation to his game. Luiz has scored six goals in all competitions this season, as well as chipping in with six assists.
And it is not only the Villa Park faithful that have witnessed this up close, with the club’s away fans also enjoying his displays on the pitch.
As per Aston Villa Statto, Luiz has created five big chances away from home in the Premier League this season.
The figure places him behind only Ashley Young (13 in 2010/11), Stewart Downing (eight in 2010/11) and Jack Grealish (six in 2020/21).
It’s impressive that he is within touching distance of such club legends, but the feat is made even more impressive given how all three of those players were playing on the wing when they hit such heights.
Luiz has spent the majority of the campaign in central midfield, as well as dropping even deeper into defensive midfield.
His latest big chance created came in the 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday (20 May), with the Brazilian assisting Jacob Ramsey’s goal in the 27th minute at Anfield.
It was a match in which Luiz impressed in various aspects yet again, picking up a Man of the Match 8.1 rating on SofaScore.
This was thanks to his three tackles, two clearances and four out of six ground duels won, with Luiz making three key passes throughout the afternoon.
His display rightly earned him a spot in Alan Shearer’s Premier League Team of the Week, with the pundit noting: “Liverpool found it difficult to get past him on Saturday. A great midfield performance.”
In other Aston Villa news, one Villa ace pocketed Liverpool star Cody Gakpo with a 10-clearance showing against the Reds.