Ian Maatsen must be trusted vs Liverpool, he has proven his defensive qualities at Aston Villa
Ian Maatsen should be given the nod to start as Aston Villa prepare to host Liverpool on Friday.
The rearranged fixture against the Premier League holders comes just five days before the Europa League final in Istanbul.
That gives Unai Emery a selection headache at Villa Park, especially with Champions League qualification not completely secure.
A 2-2 draw against Burnley wasn’t enough to seal a top-five finish, but a win against the Reds would do exactly that.
Villa need a positive result against Liverpool, and Maatsen may prove a key asset in the upcoming clash in B6.
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Ian Maasten showed his class for Aston Villa vs Burnley
The Villans didn’t get what they wanted away at Turf Moor as Zian Flemming’s second-half strike meant the points were shared.
That isn’t to say that the away side didn’t have chances, but they were also lucky not to lose the game by the same token.
| Stat | Burnley | Aston Villa |
| Possession (%) | 34 | 66 |
| Expected goals | 1.79 | 1.44 |
| Shots | 15 | 18 |
| Big chances | 3 | 3 |
| Accurate passes | 192 | 456 |
There were some poor performances on show in Lancashire, with someone like Morgan Rogers coming under scrutiny in the aftermath.
The same can’t be said for Maatsen, who may have been taken off after 74 minutes, but his stats paint a positive picture.
He created one chance while maintaining an 82 per cent pass accuracy and also took one shot at Turf Moor.
Despite facing the pace of Kyle Walker down Burnley’s right, the Dutchman chipped in with eight defensive actions and six duel wins.
Maatsen may have struggled for Villa recently, but his showing against the Clarets could bode well when welcoming Liverpool on Friday.
Maatsen could thrive against Liverpool
If he can deal with Walker, there will be hope that he can also deal with Jeremie Frimpong if he starts for the Reds.
The ex-Bayer Leverkusen man started on the wing last time out against Chelsea, but he failed to complete a dribble while being dispossessed twice.
He also lost seven duels at Anfield, something which could see him seriously struggle if Maatsen is on song at Villa Park.
It may prove to be the perfect opportunity for the Villa left-back to prove himself, especially with a Europa League final on the horizon.
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