Lucas Digne flying under the radar at Aston Villa as superb stats emerge from Villa Park
Lucas Digne continues to be a reliable operator for Aston Villa.
Digne signed for Villa from Everton back in January 2022 and initially failed to prove his value at Villa Park.
That has changed in recent seasons as regular France international Digne continues to perform at a top level under Unai Emery.
The left-back is set for an increasingly lengthy stay in B6 as Digne signed a new Villa deal in August to keep him at Bodymoor Heath until 2028.
This season, Digne has continued to perform at a top level but has often been overlooked, remaining one of the Villans’ most underrated players.
Lucas Digne ranks among Aston Villa best this season
Ian Maatsen came in from Chelsea last summer, and it did feel as if he would eventually take up the mantle at left-back.
The Dutchman has failed to impress consistently in a Villa shirt during a frustrating period after such a positive spell at Borussia Dortmund.
Digne has unsurprisingly kept his place this campaign and has started six of a possible seven Premier League fixtures so far.
In that time, the ex-Barcelona man has registered some impressive stats, creating six chances and making 10 successful crosses, while also not shirking his defensive responsibility.
The 32-year-old has won six tackles, 15 duels and has also contributed with a further four interceptions, maintaining his all-action approach down the left.
Among the entire Villa squad, Digne has the third most assists despite having the highest expected assists, with a value of 1.1, being somewhat let down by those around him.
These sorts of stats rank him highly among his peers, despite not being held in as high esteem as the likes of Morgan Rogers, Boubacar Kamara and Co.
It is these sorts of things that contribute to the defender being arguably the most underrated player at Villa right now.
Digne creativity has thrived under Unai Emery
The former Paris Saint-Germain defender came in as one of the best offensive full-backs from his time at Goodison Park.
In his early spells in B6, Digne failed to prove his worth going forward for the most part under Steven Gerrard.
Emery has helped to get the most out of the defender, who provided six assists last season, his most productive in terms of goal creation since 2021.
Digne has already picked up one Premier League assist this season and is unlikely to stop there with over 30 games remaining.
Having completed seven crosses with 100 per cent accuracy, there is plenty of evidence suggesting this level of form will continue.
The full-back will be hopeful that someone like Ollie Watkins can catch fire at some point and start to convert the chances he is creating.
Until then, Digne has to carry on performing at the same level as he keeps Emery’s side ticking over in attacking areas every week.
Villa will hope that he continues to fly under the radar while being a consistent threat to opposition teams each week.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247