Aston Villa player power rankings: Johan Manzambi drops a place as 'hero' climbs top

Aston Villa have shown signs of recovery following a slow start to the campaign, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

After an unexpected summer of upheaval, it was always going to take time for Unai Emery's side to get going.

So that has proved, with the Villans losing three and drawing one of their first four competitive matches of the campaign.

However, that has soon become two wins from three in all competitions prior to the international break.

Even during the slow start, summer signing Zion Suzuki instantly won over supporters.

And he is not the only new player to feature in Villa News' latest power rankings.

5 - Emi Buendia

It may say more about his teammates than anything as Emi Buendia keeps his place at number five from last week's inaugural Villa player rankings.

The Argentine attacker produced a moment of magic in the 3-2 win over Tottenham in the last game prior to the international break.

One aspect going under the radar is his 1.2 aerials won per game, which is bettered only by Boubacar Kamara (just outside this list) and Tyrone Mings with 1.4 and 1.8 respectively.

4 - Victor Lindelof

Victor Lindelof also retains his place in the top five, albeit down a spot from last week.

The defender has impressed with his 3.6 clearances per game so far in the Premier League, while also being solid on the ball with a 92 per cent pass-completion rate.

He has also played in back-to-back wins for Sweden over the international break so far, as he looks to keep his momentum going.

3 - Nicolas Jackson

The first of the risers from last time out, Nicolas Jackson has climbed thanks to his international exploits.

Jackson slowly started to find his feet at Villa Park prior to the international break with two goals in four matches, while also impressing with his all-around play up top against Spurs in particular.

The Senegal international has since scored and assisted in his country's draw with Mozambique and win over Ethiopia.

Emery will be particularly impressed with what he saw from Jackson in that Ethiopia win.

2 - Johan Manzambi

Johan Manzambi topped this list last week but has dropped a spot - though that is not necessarily his own faut.

The 20-year-old performed well in back-to-back wins for Switzerland over North Macedonia and then Scotland

No Villa player has registered more shots per game (two) than the Swiss so far, and there is a sense that there is still a lot more to come.

1 - Zion Suzuki

From second last week to first this week. Suzuki really has taken no time at all to become a fan favourite in the West Midlands.

Only five Premier League goalkeepers have a better save percentage so far, while he has continued to impress with Japan.

Suzuki was hailed a "hero" for his performance in Japan's stalemate with Uruguay, which Villa fans can relate to.

There is no higher he can climb, so now it is a case of retaining this position in the list.