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John McGinn now surely one of best in the Premier League - Three things learned from Aston Villa win v Fulham
Aston Villa comfortably returned to winning ways with a stunning 3-1 victory over Fulham at Villa Park in the Premier League on Sunday (12 November).
Antonee Robinson’s own goal and John McGinn’s placed finish into the bottom right corner put Unai Emery’s side firmly in control at the break.
Ollie Watkins’ tapped in substitute Leon Bailey’s cross just after the hour mark as Villa claimed a 13th consecutive win at home in the top flight for the first time since 1983.
The result also means the West Midlands outfit have opened a season in England’s top division with six successive home wins for the first time since 1932-33 as they returned to the top five in the Premier League table.
Here are three things we at Villa News learned from another rampant win in Birmingham…
Give John McGinn his flowers as one of the best in the Premier League
One man Emery will be giving huge praise to for his side’s seventh successive win at Villa Park is Scottish international McGinn as he delivered another masterclass showing in front of his own fans.
The former Hibernian maestro registered his third goal of the season with an absolute pearler outside the box to notch Villa’s second but it was his all-round display that will have many of us drooling once again.
McGinn certainly is no Kevin de Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes or Martin Odegaard but to Emery, he is just as crucial and as pivotal as those three stars and his showing against Fulham surely confirms him as one of the best central midfielders in the division.
The Scot’s industry, aggression, ball-carrying abilities and work off the ball is second to none as Marco Silva’s side simply could not live with him in an outstanding display.
Won a whopping 15 of his 20 ground duels the most of any player, completed seven of his eight dribbles, and completed three of his long balls [SofaScore] in an action-packed and stunning individual showing from the Scotsman. What a player.
Ezri Konsa is due an England call-up soon enough, isn’t he?
Why Ezri Konsa hasn’t got a look in for England is absolutely baffling because yet again, he was at his solid best this afternoon as his partnership with Pau Torres just gets stronger and stronger.
The former Brentford defender is just as good as the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Levi Colwill and certainly deserves a chance further down the lines.
Gareth Southgate was certainly made to eat his decisions with awkwardness as Konsa once again showcased a masterful display at Villa Park, keeping the Fulham attack and bay but he’ll be disappointed he couldn’t cap it off with a clean sheet.
Successfully completed 93% of his passes, won three of his five ground duels, and completed 100% of his long balls.
Big money Moussa Diaby struggles again – international break comes at the right time
Another game in which big-money Frenchman Diaby failed to deliver on his promise in an Aston Villa shirt but his flashes of brilliance in certain games mean he isn’t in the same position of disappointment as Nicolo Zaniolo, regarding his start to life in Birmingham.
However, Diaby’s one goal in his last ten games [SofaScore] for the club will be a huge cause for concern for Unai Emery heading into the international break and it may not have come at a more crucial time for him.
There’s a reason why the former Bayer Leverkusen man hasn’t been included in Didier Deschamps’ latest France squad but it will certainly hand him a chance to ponder his recent performances and work at ways to improve when their Premier League campaign resumes against Tottenham (26 November).
With the kind of form Leon Bailey is enjoying right now, it won’t be a surprise to see Emery start the Jamaican international in place of Diaby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In other Aston Villa news, a senior man may have quit before he was pushed out of Villa Park by Monchi.