Peter Lynch

Mon 5 June 2023 11:26, UK

Quite simply nobody was predicting that Aston Villa would clinch European football after their miserable start to the campaign, but Unai Emery worked his magic in the dugout to secure seventh place in the table.

Importantly, it was a real team effort from all at the club, with everyone pulling in the right direction to get Villa back to where they belong.

But one player that is definitely deserving of immense credit for his displays this season is defender Tyrone Mings.

The centre-back had been going through a tough time at Villa Park not so long ago, but he managed to turn his fortunes around to become of the club’s most important players.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was superb in between the sticks behind Mings, while his central defensive partner Ezri Konsa was also a top, top performer throughout the entire campaign.

In fact, only the top four clubs (Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United) conceded fewer goals than Villa’s 46, as per the official Premier League website.

The defensive pair formed a solid partnership, building out from the back and playing the football that Emery wanted to play to perfection.

But while Mings’s composure and confidence on the ball were key, he still, of course, had to carry out his defensive duties expertly.

And he did just that, with the centre-back recording more interceptions (54) than any other defender during the 2022/23 Premier League season, as per the official Aston Villa Twitter account.

But his immense defensive efforts were not limited to just interceptions, with Mings making 158 clearances and 89 headed clearances.

As per the official Premier League website, those tallies were enough to place him in the top five of those two categories.

There are many players who will get big plaudits, but Mings may not be one of those, it is time for that to change.

In other Aston Villa news, one Villa ace is ready to explode next season, with his goal creation statistics not telling the full story.