Credit: Manh Tung - Breaking Media

Samuel Fabre

Sun 22 March 2026 20:10, UK

Amadou Onana stepped up when it mattered most in Aston Villa‘s 2-0 win over West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

After three consecutive losses in the Premier League, Unai Emery’s side were desperate to return to winning ways at Villa Park.

What followed was a brilliant display from start to finish, with John McGinn and Ollie Watkins scoring either side of half-time to secure all three points for the Brummies.

As a result, Villa now have a six-point cushion over sixth-placed Chelsea, with their eyes firmly set on qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

And in Aston Villa’s win over West Ham, Onana was pivotal to the team’s excellent performance.

Amadou Onana shines in Aston Villa win vs West Ham

Onana has become one of Villa’s most important players after having a slow start to the campaign, and Emery would have been thrilled to see him turn up against West Ham.

In the build-up to Watkins’ goal, Onana dispossessed Jarrod Bowen in his own half before releasing Morgan Rogers, whose shot was spilt into the English striker’s path.

According to Sofascore, the 24-year-old completed 100 per cent of his long balls and made eight passes into the final third.

From a defensive standpoint, Onana won 88 per cent of his ground duels and made seven tackles in a dominant display.

In the Premier League this season, the Belgium international has won 64.5 per cent of his ground duels and made 56 clearances, highlighting his defensive prowess.

On the other hand, his pass accuracy of 86.9 per cent is a sign that he is comfortable in possession, and his versatility was on display against the Hammers once again.

The Sofascore graphic above shows how impressive he has been this campaign, and it’s safe to say that it is looking like money well spent for the Villans.

Has Onana finally matched expectations at Aston Villa?

Onana joined Villa in July 2024 for a fee of £50million from Everton, and it seems as if he is finally performing to the standard that is expected of him.

Emery has placed a lot more faith in his imposing midfielder this campaign, after he only made 34 appearances in all competitions last season due to fitness issues.

However, he has been excellent in recent weeks, providing a bright spark for Villa as they began to lose their way in the top flight.

At 195cm tall, it’s no shock that he is an extremely valuable weapon in midfield, and he has won 74.4 per cent of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season.

With Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans all spending extended periods of the campaign injured in recent months, Onana is finally showing why Villa broke their transfer record and spent £50m on him.