Combat and creativity - the rise of Tielemans at Villa

BBC News

a day ago

"I think he's one of the leaders on the field," Unai Emery said of Youri Tielemans in April, with the Aston Villa boss describing the Belgian as "very important" to how his side plays.After struggling in his first season in the West Midlands, Tielemans had a point to prove in 2024-25.And, although Villa missed out on Champions League football on the final day, the 28-year-old has made his presence felt in the heart of midfield over the past nine months.But how has he done it?
Nothing illustrates the change in his role more than the amount of time he has spent on the pitch.In his first season at Villa Park, he played just 1,620 minutes in the Premier League, waiting until November for his first Premier League start.Last season - despite featuring in just four more games - Tielemans nearly doubled the amount, playing 3,032 minutes.His versatility is a key asset, with Emery able to deploy him in several of the different central midfield positions and even occasionally on the left-hand side.He even ended up as Villa's third top goalscorer despite scoring only three times, following the departure of Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr.Nevertheless, his influence in the final third focuses more on his ability to break down the opposition, and he created more chances (61) than any other Aston Villa player this season. That number put him ninth overall across all players in the Premier League and is a significant improvement on his first year at the club where he only created 18 opportunities.Add to that his 2,517 touches - again highest for his team-mates - and it merely emphasises his impact.At the other end of the pitch, Tielemans has been just as impressive.Not only has he won possession the most times (145), but he also made the most tackles (84) across the entire season, with the latter number more than doubling his tally from the previous year.With his dual ability to play high up the pitch, and to drop deep to win the ball back, it seems pretty clear Tielemans' improvement has made him one of Villa's most important players under Unai Emery.If he were to leave this summer, it would be a damaging blow for hopes of a Champions League return next season.