Ian Maatsen in line for full Aston Villa Premier League debut after what’s happened
Ian Maatsen will be demanding an Aston Villa start against Bournemouth from Unai Emery after his electric performance in the Champions League against Bologna.
The Villans kept up their perfect start in Europe with a 2-0 win against the Italian outfit on Tuesday (22 October) thanks to goals from the impressive John McGinn and Jhon Duran.
Emery opted to make three changes to his starting XI, with the Netherlands international coming in to replace Lucas Digne as one of those.
After a positive showing in Europe’s elite competition, Maatsen will be hopeful of keeping his place in the side against Bournemouth on Saturday (26 October).
Ian Maatsen will want Aston Villa start v Bournemouth
It is safe to say that the former Borussia Dortmund loan star couldn’t do much more to prove himself in his second start for the club.
The Dutchman was part of the Champions League Team of the Season last campaign and showed his credentials in claret and blue against Bologna.
This saw him keep up an 83 per cent pass accuracy across his 42 attempts and 72 touches throughout the 90 minutes at Villa Park [FotMob].
Maatsen wasn’t afraid to get forward as he completed two dribbles and made one pass into the final third, maintaining a 100 per cent cross completion rate as well.
With the left-back getting forward at any opportunity, fans could excuse some drawbacks defensively but that was far from the case.
The 22-year-old completed three tackles, with a 100 per cent success rate, while contributing to an additional four defensive actions, as per FotMob.
Winning nine duels was just the cherry on top of an excellent all-round performance which left supporters wanting to see more.
As good as Digne has been for many weeks and months, it could be a chance for Emery to hand the younger man a chance in the Premier League against Bournemouth this weekend.
In other Aston Villa news, a wantaway Manchester United ace would be welcomed with open arms at Villa Park after the latest January development.
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