Aston Villa’s push for Champions League football next season was given a huge boost as Youri Tielemans made his long-awaited return in the 2-0 win against West Ham United.
The Belgian international came on for captain John McGinn in the 67th minute to loud cheers from the home supporters. Tielemans suffered an ankle injury in the victory over Newcastle on the 25th January and was expected to return after the international break.
Villa have struggled without their midfield maestro, winning only one league game since his injury. Unai Emery will be very pleased to have him back, his composure and passing ability have been sorely missed. Tielemans has the joint second most chances created in the Villa squad, behind only Morgan Rogers; he’s also got the second most assists in the Premier League this season for the Villans.
Final Seven Games
Out of the teams fighting for the Champions League places, Villa on paper, have the easier run-in to the end of the season. Five of their next seven remaining league games are against teams in the bottom half of the table, with the final two against Liverpool and Manchester City.
They will be hoping that it will already be wrapped up before then to take the pressure off, but it’s crucial that they don’t get ahead of themselves.
This weekend was a good result for Villa as both Liverpool and Chelsea lost, causing the gap to extend to five and six points respectively.
With McGinn and now Tielemans back, the mood around the dressing room and the supporters has lifted significantly. After their win on Sunday, they head into the international break with momentum behind them to finish the season strongly.
