Unai Emery will be buzzing after what Jacob Ramsey did in Aston Villa v Athletic Bilbao
Aston Villa fans have been starved of watching Jacob Ramsey do what he does best after suffering a season-ending injury last term.
Little should be read into Villa’s pre-season preparations, following up two victories against Walsall and Spartak Trnava with consecutive defeats to Columbus Crew, RB Leipzig and Club America.
Matches ahead of a new season should strictly be focusing on getting new players up to speed with Unai Emery’s tactics and getting old ones match-fit and ready for Premier League action.
The biggest positive will be seeing Ramsey return from his long-term injury. He has come off the bench on two occasions already but has already sent the passionate fans into overdrive with what he could achieve next season.
Having scored the opening goal during a 3-2 win against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday 7 August, Emery will also be feeling positive about reintroducing the 23-year-old into the squad.
Taking to X on Wednesday (7 August), The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell was full of praise for Ramsey and the team goal, writing: “Goal, Jacob Ramsey. Fantastic incision – 1-0.
“Pau Torres breaks the lines and Bilbao’s compact block before a quick set between Rogers and Tielemans finds the third-man run of Ramsey.”
Jacob Ramsey to make up for lost time at Aston Villa
The winger already looked to be growing into an important part of Emery’s squad last season, at least before the injury, making 21 appearances in all competitions.
He had notched one goal and one assist, created 10 chances, maintained an 82 per cent pass completion rate, and had even missed two big chances to add to his goal tally [FotMob].
While Ramsey’s small stature would suggest he is a very attack-focused player, by no means is he afraid of putting his body on the line, having already picked up two yellow cards, won 50 per cent of his tackles, and made seven clearances and three interceptions.
If the 23-year-old can avoid another serious injury, he will be hoping to rediscover the form he showed during the 2022/23 campaign, when he notched six goals and seven assists in the league.
Incredibly, his expected goals (xG) and expected assists (xA) were only 5.11 and 2.86, respectively, proving that he was hugely overperforming in the final third, something Emery will be excited to see at Villa Park.
The manager will need to manage his minutes sensibly at the beginning of the season, but after seeing how well he took the opening goal against Bilbao, it’s almost as if he never left the field.
In other Aston Villa news, Unai Emery was sent a clear message by Cameron Archer as footage emerges v Spartak Trnava.
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