Alan Shearer wowed by ‘invaluable’ Douglas Luiz this season, Aston Villa may now face January battle
It has already been an incredible season for Aston Villa as Unai Emery’s side continue to fly at the top end of the Premier League and have booked their place in the Europa Conference League knockout stages.
There is still plenty to play for between now and the end of the campaign and Emery’s side may just fancy their chances of FA Cup success this season after they booked their place in the fourth round with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough (6 January).
However, the majority of Villa’s focus will be on the remainder of the Premier League and one man that will likely be crucial between now and the end of the season will be Douglas Luiz, who Alan Shearer has named in his Premier League team of the season so far.
Writing on the Premier League’s website on Monday (8 January) he said: “A brilliant midfielder who has been pivotal to Aston Villa’s success this season, with his goals at home particularly invaluable.”
Luiz has seemingly improved Aston Villa whenever he has stepped on the pitch for Emery’s side this season and as Shearer has suggested, he has played a “pivotal” role in Villa’s impressive rise up the Premier League table.
Saturday’s (6 January) FA Cup clash against Middlesbrough was a great demonstration of just how integral the Brazilian is to Emery’s midfield. Luiz was introduced with 20 minutes to play and changed the course of his game single-handedly.
The 26-year-old picked up the crucial assist for Matty Cash’s winner with the only chance that he created in his cameo. In his 20 minutes of action, he completed 81 per cent of his 21 attempted passes, four of which were into the final third [Fotmob].
Aston Villa’s number six, also displayed his remarkable range of passing as he completed 100 per cent of his attempted long passes and his only disappointment would have been his inaccuracy when crossing into the penalty area.
Out of possession, the Brazilian had very little to do but excelled whenever he was called into action. Luiz made two ball recoveries and managed to win his only duel in the clash, finishing with a 100 per cent success rate.
But it has been Luiz’s contribution in the final third that has ensured that he has stood out from the crowd so far this season. When compared to his positional peers in the Premier League, he sits in the 93rd percentile for goals scored per 90 minutes, averaging one every three games [Fbref].
While most critics will point to the number of penalties the Aston Villa midfielder has taken this season, he has proven to be a creative force for his teammates as well, producing more shot-creating actions per match than 85 per cent of Premier League midfielders.
Luiz really helps Aston Villa drive up the field and towards the opposition’s goal, playing an average of 1.47 key passes a game, a number which places him in the top 22 per cent of his peers in England’s top division.
In his 19 Premier League appearances this season, Luiz has scored six goals and registered three assists. That means the Brazilian midfielder has played a part in 20.9 per cent of all Aston Villa’s league goals this season, a remarkable figure for a holding midfielder.
While this is great news for Villa in their quest for Champions League football this season, other clubs at the top of the Premier League will be taking note and Emery may have a tough task keeping his “brilliant” magician at Villa Park beyond the January transfer window.
In other Aston Villa news, Micah Richards was not impressed by Jhon Duran’s “slow” performance against Middlesbrough