Ian Maatsen is Aston Villa’s left-back of the future as Premier League milestone awaits vs Leeds
Ian Maatsen is set to make his 50th Premier League appearance for the Villans as they welcome Leeds United to Villa Park on Saturday.
Unai Emery‘s side are looking to put their FA Cup disappointment behind them, following their controversial 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the fourth round.
Their next opponents at Villa Park, Leeds, did progress into the fifth round of the competition, overcoming Birmingham City on penalties at St Andrew’s.
It was an afternoon that would have taken a lot out of those Leeds players, though, and Aston Villa will be hoping to capitalise on that as they try to keep within reach of Man City and Arsenal.
Saturday is also set to be a landmark day for Maatsen ahead of his latest Premier League milestone, and he’s sure to add plenty more games to that tally over the coming years.
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Ian Maatsen has been rock solid for Aston Villa this season
Having signed for Aston Villa in a £37.5million deal from Chelsea in the summer of 2024, Maatsen was always brought in with a Lucas Digne succession plan in mind.
Now 32, Digne is coming into the twilight years of his career, but has shown enough quality to deserve the three-year contract extension he penned at Villa Park last summer.
However, Digne has been losing his grip on the starting left-back role in Emery’s side this season, with just two Premier League starts in this calendar year so far.
The baton now appears ready to be passed on to Maatsen on a more full-time basis, and the Netherlands international has proven he’s up to the task.
Despite the fact he’s yet to register a goal or assist in the league this term, Maatsen has been a lively and impactful presence in attack, as he’s always looking to get forward with his powerful ball-carrying ability.
As per the Sofascore graphic above, he has held an 86.7 per cent pass success rate throughout his Premier League career, winning just over half of his duels per game.
He’s also been very accurate with his passing when on the attack, completing 85 per cent of his passes in the opposition half successfully.
Maatsen has also been effective in the defensive side of the game, recovering an average of 3.2 balls per game, winning 58 per cent of his aerial duels and making zero errors that have led to a goal.
Maatsen is only going to get better
Still only 23-years old, Maatsen is still just scratching the surface of his full potential.
With Chelsea and Dortmund pedigree on his CV, the Dutchman has always been tipped for stardom, and now he looks well on course for a long and successful career at the top of the game.
There’s every chance that by the time Maatsen is a couple of years older and firmly in the prime of his career, he could be one of the very best left-backs in the Premier League, and potentially even Europe.
So, Villa should feel safe in the knowledge that in Maatsen, they have a player who can command the left side of their defensive line for many years to come.
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