Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Mon 23 March 2026 11:10, UK

Aston Villa can begin to look up the Premier League once again, with Unai Emery’s side hoping to have turned a corner heading into the international break.

The Villans secured a much-needed 2-0 win against West Ham on Sunday – their first in the Premier League since February.

Returning from injury earlier this month, John McGinn has proven just how instrumental he is to Emery’s side, and this was most definitely the case against the Hammers at Villa Park.

Scoring a beautiful opener and putting in the type of all-action performance expected of him in claret and blue, the versatile midfielder is beginning to hit his stride once again.

This comes at a time when Villa are looking to do exactly that themselves, and the return of McGinn, alongside Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans, will prove crucial heading into the final months of the season.

Aston Villa have sorely missed John McGinn’s drive

Alongside Tielemans, McGinn was ruled out of action in January, and the results during his time on the sidelines have not been a coincidence.

Before the visit of West Ham, Emery’s side had picked up just two wins in eight Premier League matches, while they were dumped out of the FA Cup by Newcastle.

Across multiple of these outings, Villa were slow, ponderous and showed no real attacking drive or flair.

For all their possession, Villa were unable to break sides down. The 2-0 loss against bottom-dwelling Wolves showcased this perfectly, with just two big chances created from 61 per cent of the ball – the same number as their West Midlands rivals on the night.

Against West Ham, Villa created three big chances, resulting in 23 shots and an xG of 1.69.

It is not a surprise that McGinn was at the heart of this – showing exactly how much of a different side the Villans are when they have their captain available.

John McGinn provides Villa Park spark

Since making his move to the club in 2018, McGinn has continued to prove just how versatile he is, operating in multiple roles across the middle of the park and out wide.

When watching the Scotman, his unique dribbling style makes him look incredibly difficult to steal the ball from, while his ability to drive with the ball from deeper areas adds a whole new dimension of threat in comparison to the rather uninspiring possession seen in recent weeks.

Alongside his wonderful opener from range, McGinn completed six carries against West Ham on Sunday, with his non-stop energy also making him a fantastic asset in possession, being readily available across the park at any time of need – as demonstrated by his Sofascore graphic below.

With domestic action now paused for the international break, Villa are looking ahead to a Europa League double header against Bologna, sandwiching a Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest, fresh off the back of a 3-0 win against Tottenham.

McGinn brings drive to Villa Park, with an innate feel of match tempo and the ability to progress the ball through the lines.

Alongside the return of Tielemans, Emery’s side looks to be in good shape heading into the final stretch of the term, with a Champions League place remaining on the line.