Alysson may have handed Unai Emery one of his biggest selection decisions ahead of Aston Villa’s Carabao Cup trip to Coventry City.
The 20-year-old came off the bench during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest and scored Villa’s first Premier League goal of the season.
It was ultimately not enough to earn a result, but Alysson provided the attacking spark Villa had been lacking before half-time.
The Guardian’s match report highlighted Alysson’s impact after his introduction, while the winger was also our standout performer in the Aston Villa player ratings against Nottingham Forest.
The question for Emery is now whether Alysson has done enough to move from impact substitute to starter.
Alysson changes Aston Villa attack
The circumstances behind his introduction make the performance even more interesting.
Nicolas Jackson was withdrawn at half-time after receiving a booking and the Villa bench being warned that the striker was at risk of another yellow card.
Jacob Tanswell reported Emery’s explanation after the game, with the manager revealing that replacing Jackson with Tammy Abraham created another tactical problem.
Abraham does not offer the same threat running behind opposing defences.
Emery therefore felt Villa also needed a winger.
Alysson got the opportunity.
He made it count.
John McGinn’s delivery was met by the Brazilian, who directed his header past the Forest goalkeeper to bring Villa level.
The goal can be watched through NBC Sports’ match footage.
It temporarily appeared capable of rescuing a point before Igor Jesus struck Forest’s late winner.
Alysson has been Aston Villa’s impact option
There is now a case for Emery to see what Alysson can offer from the beginning of a match.
Opta’s current player data shows that Alysson has featured in all four of Villa’s Premier League games this season.
Every appearance has come from the bench.
He has accumulated only 86 league minutes, yet he has now produced Villa’s first Premier League goal of the campaign.
That is a relatively small sample, but it is enough to make Wednesday interesting.
Villa travel to Coventry needing a response after another disappointing domestic result.
Emery could rotate heavily in the Carabao Cup, particularly with Ian Maatsen and Pau Torres adding to Aston Villa’s injury concerns.
That creates a natural opportunity to test some of the players pushing from the bench.
Alysson should be close to the front of that queue.
Coventry could provide Alysson opportunity
There is no need to overreact to one goal.
Alysson remains a young player adapting to Premier League football and Emery will want to manage his development carefully.
But Saturday provided more than simply a finish.
Villa looked more dangerous after the interval, and Alysson offered direct running and width which complemented Abraham’s different profile through the middle.
That tactical balance is exactly what Emery said he wanted when making the half-time changes.
Alysson subsequently delivered.
Supporters can already find TV channel, kick-off time and streaming information for Coventry City against Aston Villa ahead of Wednesday’s cup tie.
The next question is whether Alysson will be watching the start from the bench again.
After Saturday, Emery has a genuine reason to consider something different.
