Jacob Raw
Mon 16 February 2026 18:40, UK
Lucas Digne has had his critics for Aston Villa this season, but Unai Emery has plenty of reasons to keep playing his defender.
The left-back featured in Villa’s 3-1 FA Cup loss to Newcastle on Saturday, as some suggested that he was lucky to stay on the pitch after a rash challenge on Jacob Murphy.
The incident highlighted what many have been saying for a while, which is that the Frenchman’s defensive displays are on the decline, with Ian Maatson’s game time now seeing a slight increase.
But Digne offers something that most Premier League defenders don’t, as his creativity is what puts him high up Emery’s pecking order at Villa Park.
No Premier League defender has more assists than Lucas Digne
Digne was brought to Aston Villa from Everton in 2022, and it was his attacking output that attracted the Villans to make a move.
Over four-and-a-half seasons later, and the veteran defender is still putting up ridiculous numbers going forward for the Villa.
Digne in the Premier League this season:
Digne has a crossing accuracy of 31.4%
He creates 1.16 chances per game
The Frenchman averages 1.50 successful crosses every 90 minutes
With less than half of the season left to go, Digne is top of the charts for defenders with the most assists in the Premier League.
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As highlighted by Sofascore in the graphic below, no other defender has more than his four assists for the Villans this season.
Tally of assists for Premier League defenders featuring Aston Villa's Lucas Digne. Graphic provided by Sofascore.
Credit: Sofascore
It’s showing that the smart move that Aston Villa made all the way back in 2022 has paid off in terms of investment over the long period.
Digne vs Ian Maatsen stat comparison
Many have called for Maatsen’s inclusion in Aston Villa’s lineups since his arrival from Chelsea last season, but the Dutchman has yet to cement himself as a regular starter in B6.
Instead, it feels like Emery opts to play Digne in the more important games, giving Maatsen a run out in cup competitions and the odd Premier League match.
Though the 23-year-old is not the first-choice favourite just yet at Villa Park, he won’t have to wait too long, with Digne’s playing time slowly coming to an end.
Player Minutes played Assists Tackles per 90 Dribbled past per 90 Average rating
Lucas Digne 1330 4 1.1 0.5 6.79
Ian Maatsen 1057 0 1.6 0.8 6.68
Digne vs Maatsen – PL stat comparison, according to Sofascore
As highlighted by Sofascore in the statistical comparison above, Digne and Maatsen both offer different qualities, but the former is still rated higher at 6.79.
Maatsen offers less output going forward, but is starting to improve his game defensively with 1.6 tackles made per 90 minutes, as the ex-Chelsea man could soon become the top choice left-back.
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