Jadon Sancho starts in Brentford vs Aston Villa – His debut by the numbers
Jadon Sancho made his Aston Villa debut on Tuesday as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford after a penalty shootout.
After his loan move from Manchester United to Villa on deadline day, this season is regarded as Sancho’s last chance to salvage his career, which has taken a notable nosedive in recent seasons.
Sancho was not the only signing to receive their first start under Unai Emery, with Harvey Elliott’s performance impressing Jamie Redknapp.
Whilst Elliott was Villa’s best player, Sancho, on the other hand, struggled to influence the game, as Villa News analyses the winger’s debut by the numbers.
Jadon Sancho has a debut to forget in Brentford defeat
Sancho’s debut lasted 74 minutes before he was replaced by Emi Buendia.
Although the 25-year-old did not have a pre-season to get up to speed, this cannot excuse how little of an impact he had during the game, with stats via Sofascore.
- Sancho missed one big chance at the back post, with his shot cannoning off the woodwork
- The winger did not attempt a single cross during the time he was on the pitch
- Sancho only attempted one dribble during the game, and it was unsuccessful
Sancho’s commitment during previous loan spells has been questioned, and against Brentford, he did little to address these concerns.
The former England international did not win any of his three ground duels, so whilst it was evidently not coming off for him in the final third, the Villa supporters would have at least liked to see Sancho get stuck in more and show his work ethic.
One stat is a silver lining for Jadon Sancho during his debut
The only positive that can be taken from Sancho’s performance against Brentford was the fact that he made two key passes.
With the likes of Morgan Rogers struggling to provide that creative spark at times so far this season, the Villa Park faithful will be hoping Sancho can take some of the creative burden off Rogers’ shoulders.
However, given Sancho’s profile as a player, if Emery is to get the best out of his side moving forward, he must ensure he deploys someone with pace on that right-hand side if Sancho starts on the left wing.
John McGinn has started there at points this season, but Emery must surely recognise that playing these two out wide at the same time is only a recipe for disaster.
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