“Our best player this season by a mile,” was John McGinn’s typically punchy assessment.
Youri Tielemans has become Aston Villa’s marathon man. On he goes, hitting the road hard and relentlessly striving. Occasionally, bouts of exhaustion are visible, where his shoulders begin to sway side to side and knees — especially one of them, which he has been managing an issue with — look slightly heavy.
In the end, though, his quality prevails. Tielemans has, as McGinn put it, been Villa’s best player. Fifty-two starts in 54 matches for a 27-year-old central midfielder shows incredible durability — last month he became the first Villa player to start more than 50 games in a single season since Alan Wright and Mark Bosnich in the 1995-1996 campaign — but focusing on this would belie his technical ability.
Following a slow-going debut campaign after arriving from Leicester City, this season has chimed Tielemans’ in-possession skill set with a newfound endurance and reached a stage where he is often Villa’s difference maker.
“He’s grown as a leader in the dressing room,” McGinn told TNT Sports. “He does everything right as a professional. He’s getting better and better and for me, he’s our best player by a mile this season.
“He keeps churning out performance after performance and he’s enjoying it. For us to get him on a free transfer was a massive credit to the club. His first year was a bit stop-start but he’s a huge player for us and he’s versatile; he can play as a 10, 8 or 6.”
Villa’s 1-0 victory against Fulham extended their unbeaten home record to 17 league matches to equal last season’s run. This was one of the flatter, more nervy displays, with Fulham void of impetus and as part of the chasing pack, Villa knowing the importance that they cannot relinquish any more ground in this Champions League race.
Villa Park was fraught and sedate. Quiet moments of tension were interrupted by flashes of Unai Emery’s anger, crescendoing in his second-half dressing down of Ezri Konsa. Emery stepped out of his technical area, his eyes frenzied and voice at its most vehement, screaming at Konsa after the defender stopped and hoped for a foul. This led to one of Fulham’s few encouraging attacks, with Emery clenching his fists and swiping at the air.
Unai Emery was FUMING with his players after this Fulham chance 🤬
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“We spoke yesterday about how important it is to play and focus seriously for 90 minutes in our game plan,” said Emery. “But if someone is relaxing a little bit, we are closer to losing.”
This was among the more notable moments from the match. Villa sought to be on the front foot but were naturally tense, knowing they could make no more slip-ups.
This affected fluidity in possession and a first half which had a collective expected goals (xG) total of 0.27.
So it appeared fitting that the only goal came from a set-play and the most inspired player — Tielemans stepping in front of marker Sasa Lukic and heading past Bernd Leno.
Tielemans has become Villa’s can-do man: the most minutes played, most progressive passes, most passes, most tackles and the second most assists, taking his overall number of goal involvements to double figures.
The Belgium international is a thoughtful, popular character in the squad, who bought into Emery’s plan early on in correcting the type of blind spots that made Europe’s biggest clubs hesitant in signing him as a free agent when he left Leicester.
There was a growing opinion that Tielemans’ athleticism — or lack of — was a problem. He had looked leggy in Leicester’s midfield three, unable to cover large spaces in a dysfunctional team doomed for the Championship.
Tielemans soaks up the applause at the final whistle (Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)
Those concerns have vanished and his sharpness exemplified in the winning goal. He pressed high and aggressively, tasked with jumping on Fulham’s other central midfielder, Sander Berge, from their goal kicks before scurrying back and offering cover. When Ryan Sessegnon bypassed Ian Maatsen near the byline, Tielemans was there to slide tackle.
“He is a really competitive guy,” said Emery. “His commitment is fantastic. Last year, he was adapting and progressively getting better. But he didn’t play like (he has) this year and also played in different positions, too.
“This year, he has been more consistent playing as a No 8 or 10. Those positions are something he can dominate.”
Tielemans is not the quickest yet his swiftness of thought has regularly perturbed the opposition. Emery implored Tielemans to keep switching the ball to prise apart Fulham.
Marco Silva’s team retreated quickly into position and this played into Tielemans’ hands, or, more precisely, right insole. He whipped an effort from outside the box and produced a wonderful save from Leno who, more impressively, managed to maintain a poker face that convinced referee Rob Jones the shot had hit the post.
Tielemans provided a deviation from the malaise. Emery spoke after of his anger, not only towards Konsa, but of his players’ drop-off in intensity levels.
This did not apply to Tielemans. Villa Park rose to its feet when he was substituted for Ross Barkley seven minutes from time. The Holte End sang his name as he received high-fives and back slaps from coaches and was one of the few not in Emery’s line of fire.
Appreciation for Tielemans is high, recognising how influential he has been in Villa’s close pursuit of a European place.
(Top photo: Tielemans celebrates what turned out to be the matchwinner. Harry Murphy – AVFC/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)