100% Nicolo Zaniolo finally proves his worth in ‘perfect’ Aston Villa draw v Zrinjski
Nicolo Zaniolo may finally have proved his worth to Aston Villa with a 100% display against Zrinjski as he helped his side progress in the Europa Conference League.
The Italian has struggled for confidence after some lacklustre displays of late but scored the all-important goal for Unai Emery and will be looking to push on from this point.
That goal may have given him a much-needed boost to his game, which he will look to use and implement into his future performances to prove he deserves to be playing regular football at Villa Park.
A point was all that was needed for Aston Villa to top their group and avoid the extra two games that come with finishing second, as well as ensuring they faced an easier draw than the second-placed side, who ended up being Legia Warsaw in Villa’s group.
Speaking following the game, Unai Emery shared the importance for some out-of-sorts players (a bracket Zaniolo will certainly fall under) to find confidence and game time as he insisted: “Tonight was perfect with this result and perfect for the players to get their chances.” [Birmingham Live, 14 December]
It was Zaniolo’s goal that allowed Villa to progress in their ideal position, and an overall positive attacking performance – albeit against a side who were content to sit back for 90 minutes – may have been just what he needed after a poor run of form.
His 100% long-ball accuracy was supported by four attempted crosses, three shots on target and seven attempted dribbles which showed how he looked to make things happen in the final third. [Sofascore]
The off-the-ball work usually seen from Ollie Watkins up top in the Premier League was what Zaniolo lacked, but it would have been difficult for him to shine in that particular metric given Villa’s 76% possession, with his one tackle and two fouls the result of that side of his game.
While there is still plenty to be desired from Zaniolo in a Villa shirt, this performance will give him a strong base on which he can build and look to turn in a run of form at Villa Park, starting with the Premier League clash against Brentford on Sunday 17 December.
In other Aston Villa news, a doctor delivered a new verdict on Tyrone Mings.