Some Aston Villa fans won’t like it, but Tyrone Mings must start vs Leeds United
Tyrone Mings has continued to divide opinion at Aston Villa this season.
The ex-England international is loved on the terraces at Villa Park, simply due to his longevity as a top professional in claret and blue.
He moved to the Midlands in 2019 and has played a key role in taking the B6 outfit from the Championship to the Champions League.
The defender is now 32, and questions have been raised over whether he is now good enough to start regularly under Unai Emery.
Some supporters have suggested he shouldn’t be starting in B6, but for the upcoming clash against Leeds United, Mings surely has to keep his place in the side.
Tyrone Mings facing mixed form at Aston Villa
The centre-back has featured in the starting XI in Villa’s last two Premier League outings against Brighton and Bournemouth.
He scored the winner and helped keep a clean sheet against the Seagulls, but against Bournemouth, he hardly covered himself in glory.
His defending for Rayan’s equaliser was poor, as was that of Lucas Digne, and both made themselves look amateurish at the Vitality.
That up-and-down form has been echoed throughout the season, with his failure to make a single tackle and his win rate of just 25 per cent of aerial duels against the Cherries representing a low point.
As showcased by Sofascore, his output this season has been mixed, and that has resulted in an uncertain feeling from supporters in B6.
Even with that being the case right now, the upcoming clash against Leeds may require Mings from the start if Emery’s side are to seal three points.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin to cause problems for Leeds United
Mings may not be at his best at this stage of his career, but he provides the Villans with much-needed physicality at the back.
Compared to Pau Torres and Victor Lindelof behind him, there is no doubt that the Englishman is the most dominant in the air and in duels.
That ability will be required against Leeds, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin likely to start upfront for Daniel Farke’s side.
The summer signing has been great this campaign, and in his last Premier League outing, he scored with one of his two shots, while also hitting the woodwork.
He won four duels against Nottingham Forest and will be keen to increase those numbers at Villa Park if he is to feature.
Having scored two for Everton in his last B6 showcase, the striker will represent a danger and one that Mings is best equipped to deal with in Emery’s squad.
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