Aston Villa star could be back to his best that hasn’t been seen in years after Fenerbahce heroics
Aston Villa beat Fenerbahce 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday to confirm their place in the top eight of the group phase.
Jadon Sancho scored the only goal of the evening for Villa, as they secured a hard-fought win in Turkey.
It means that Unai Emery’s side are guaranteed a route straight through to the last 16 of the competition, without having to endure the play-offs.
The Midlands outfit now sit second in the Europa League, only behind Lyon on goal difference.
Jadon Sancho shows change in attitude
Sancho joined Aston Villa on loan from Manchester United last summer, but struggled in the early stages of his spell in the Midlands.
The 25-year-old grabbed his first goal for Emery’s side on Thursday evening, though, heading past Ederson to give the Villans an early lead.
Sancho will hope that the smart finish can give him confidence to go on a goalscoring run and allow him to really cement his place in the Villa starting line-up.
Speaking on TNT Sports, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown praised the winger for a change in attitude after he made a burst into the Fenerbahce half moments after finding the back of the net.
Keown said: “Enthusiastic run from Jadon Sancho, but he just needs a bit more control.
“We have seen him for a few years, not at his best. We have certainly seen a change of attitude here.”
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Martin Keown right to highlight Sancho
Sancho has failed to impress ever since he moved from Borussia Dortmund to Man United in the summer of 2021, but he certainly showed glimpses of his quality against Fenerbahce.
The former Chelsea man fired in four shots throughout the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, two of them going on target and one finding the back of the net.
Sancho was also pivotal in driving Villa forward, completing two dribbles and racking up 0.38 expected assists.
Emery will hope that the 25-year-old can kick on from such a positive display and start realising some of his obvious potential.
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