Andy Townsend stunned by Lucas Digne in Aston Villa draw v Arsenal - 'Wow'

Lucas Digne put the ball "on a sixpence" for Youri Tielemans to head home for Aston Villa against Arsenal on Saturday, Andy Townsend has said.

Speaking on commentary for beIN Sports (18 January, 6:48pm), Townsend exclaimed his admiration for Digne's cross after he put the ball right on Tielemans' head to halve Arsenal's lead at the Emirates.

Tielemans' near-post header made it 2-1 five minutes after Kai Havertz had made it 2-0 to Arsenal, and Ollie Watkins' sublime volley levelled things up for Unai Emery's side just eight minutes later.

Townsend said: “What a brilliant delivery that is from Lucas Digne. Wow, talk about [putting it] on a sixpence!

"That’s a fantastic delivery – I love the fact [it’s] take a touch, out your feet, put it in. And this time it’s Youri Tielemans, who just makes that sort of determined run that’s difficult to track.

"He gets the wrong side of Merino and finishes it really well.”

Lucas Digne display sends message to Unai Emery for Aston Villa

Having been left on the bench at the start of a match against title-chasing Arsenal despite arguably being Villa's best defensive left-back, Digne's introduction at half-time proved crucial.

Ian Maatsen had been run ragged at times in the first half as Arsenal went into the break deservedly 1-0 up, with Digne helping to stem the flow of attacks coming regularly down the visitors' left flank.

Digne has still started the vast majority of Villa's league matches this term with Maatsen restricted to cameo appearances off the bench, and that looks set to continue based on their displays at the Emirates.

Controversy late on could well have robbed the Villans of a point and rendered the comeback – started by Digne's left boot – useless, but VAR's intervention in the dying embers gave them a reprieve.

Villa's left-back spot is surely Digne's to lose, and while Emery is looking to strengthen in the full-back positions [Foot Mercato, 15 January], it'll be some time before he's leapfrogged in the pecking order.

In other Aston Villa news, a swap deal has been proposed between the Villans and a club whom sporting director Monchi knows well.

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