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Aston Villa stunned Arsenal on Saturday after a last-gasp winner by Emi Buendia in their latest Premier League outing
Unai Emery’s side have been in impressive form over recent weeks and will want to keep their momentum going for as long as possible. They will be in confident mood as they prepare for their upcoming Europa League clash against FC Basel on Thursday. An away trip to the London Stadium to play West Ham then lies in store for them in the league next Sunday.
Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans hailed by Danny Murphy
Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans was ‘outstanding’ against Arsenal, says Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy. The 28-year-old was handed a start against the Gunners and caught the eye. He caused problems for Mikel Arteta’s men along with Morgan Rogers.
Ex-Liverpool and Fulham man Murphy was impressed and has said: “Unai Emery deserves a lot of credit. He tweaked it again from midweek. He played Tielemans as a 10. He let Rogers play on the left and let him drift inside as well and double up in that 10 area. It was a good game by the way, two good teams going toe-to-toe.”
He added: “Tielemans was absolutely outstanding in the game, picking up that position (in the 10).”
The Belgium international, who has 81 caps to his name, has proved to be a useful player for Aston Villa to call upon over the past couple of years. He has been on the books of his current club since joining them back in 2023. He has since made 110 appearances in all competitions, 11 of which have come this season, and he has scored eight goals.
Aston Villa ace Youri Tielemans catches the eye
Emery’s decision to give Tielemans the nod against Arsenal turned out to be a masterstroke. He created chances for his teammates and allowed the likes of Rogers and Ollie Watkins around him the freedom to show what they can do as well. He has proved he has quality at the top level and he will be in good spirits after their dramatic victory over the Gunners.
Tielemans had spells at Anderlecht and AS Monaco in his early career before moving over to England. Leicester City snapped him up in 2018 on an initial loan deal that was later made permanent. He went on to play 195 matches for the Foxes and found the net on 28 occasions before heading out the exit door for a new challenge.
He has proved to be a shrewd acquisition for Aston Villa and although his whole spell hasn’t all been plain sailing, he is starting to find more consistency with his performances. Emery now has a bit of a selection headache ahead of their upcoming matches. This is an exciting time though for the club and their fans are dreaming of reaching top spot.
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