Youri Tielemans stars as 4/10 Emery favourite atrocious – Aston Villa player ratings vs Everton
Aston Villa fell to a 1-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Unai Emery‘s side were looking to gain ground on Manchester City and Arsenal, who both failed to win on Saturday.
However, they could not take advantage and climb up the Premier League table on 18 January at Villa Park.
Thierno Barry’s strike on the hour mark was the difference between the two sides in a closely fought encounter.
Youri Tielemans stunning despite Aston Villa defeat
Youri Tielemans is one of Emery’s favourites at Villa, and it was clear to see why in this clash.
The Belgian midfielder was the bright spark for the Villans, as he created the most chances in the match, with five, per Sofascore.
He also recorded a 86 per cent pass accuracy and made 16 passes into the final third, as he tried to drive his side forward.
The 28-year-old also chipped in defensively, making three recoveries, two clearances and won four of the six duels that he attempted, for a 66 per cent success rate.
He nearly set up Emi Buendia in the last minute with a superb ball, but the Argentine star could not direct his header on target.
If Tielemans remains in this type of form, then it could be the key to the B6 outfit’s Champions League aspirations.
He deserved to be on the winning side, but unfortunately, his teammates let him down.
Pau Torres makes criminal error in Aston Villa loss
Pau Torres is one of Emery’s other favourites, but he had a wildly different afternoon to his teammate.
He saw the ball bounce off him as he tried to control a pass, and that gave Dwight McNeil a chance to fire a shot at the hosts’ goal.
The effort was parried by Emi Martinez, but Barry was on hand to finish and put his side into the lead in the 59th minute.
The Spaniard was pretty solid in terms of ground duels, winning all three that he attempted for a 100 per cent success rate, but he did not make many defensive contributions.
He attempted two tackles but won neither, and made two clearances, one interception and four recoveries, in an atrocious showing.
The 29-year-old is normally a reliable presence for Emery, but that was not the case in this contest and he cost his team with a criminal error.
How Villa stars rated vs Everton
Emi Martinez – 5
Matty Cash – 6
Ezri Konsa – 6
Pau Torres – 4
Ian Maatsen – 6 (off for Digne, 73)
Lamare Bogarde – 6 (off for Hemmings, 73)
Youri Tielemans – 8
John McGinn – N/A (off for Guessand, 18)
Morgan Rogers – 5
Emi Buendia – 6
Ollie Watkins- 5
Substitutes:
Evann Guessand – 6
Lucas Digne – 5
George Hemmings – 5
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