Aston Villa are back in action in the Premier League once again as they welcome Chelsea to Birmingham in a clash at Villa Park this evening.
The Villans play host to the Blues, who were demolished 5-0 by Arsenal in their last match, as they look to take another step on the road to Champions League qualification.
Villa are six points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in fifth. However, Spurs have two games in hand and Unai Emery's side may not be able to afford to slip up if their rivals win their matches.
This means that this clash with Chelsea could be crucial to their hopes of finishing inside the top four and securing Champions League football for the 2024/25 campaign.
Emery's men come into this game off the back of a 3-1 win over Bournemouth at home last time out. Despite his team picking up all three points, the Spanish head coach could make at least one change to the starting XI.
Douglas Luiz is set to be available for selection after serving a two-match suspension and Youri Tielemans should be ruthlessly ditched to make way for him.
Why Youri Tielemans should be ditched from the starting XI
The Belgian midfielder was selected to start in the middle of the park alongside John McGinn against the Cherries, with Luiz unavailable and Boubacar Kamara out through injury.
He put in a solid display in midfield and did not disgrace himself with his performance for the Villans, as the right-footed whiz provided calmness on the ball and strength out of possession.
Tielemans completed 92% of his attempted passes, which shows that he rarely gave the ball away, and won seven of his nine duels across the 90 minutes, which speaks to his combative nature on the day.
The Belgium international, who has started 15 of his 30 appearances in the Premier League this season, was signed on a free transfer from Leicester City last summer and has been a fine addition to the squad.
Appearances
30
Goals
1
Assists
6
Pass accuracy
86%
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.8
Duel success rate
53%
As you can see in the table above, Tielemans has held his own in physical battles throughout the campaign and has chipped in with seven direct goal contributions.
The 26-year-old maestro has also contributed with one goal and one assist in nine Europa Conference League outings, which shows that the talented ace can make an impact in possession from a midfield position.
He has not been a poor performer for Villa, nor was his performance against Bournemouth one that means he deserves to be dropped, but Luiz has been a star for the club this term and is the better option out of the two.
This is why Emery must ruthlessly drop Tielemans to the bench, in spite of his strong showing, to bring the former Manchester City starlet back into the starting XI this weekend.
Why Douglas Luiz should start
The £75k-per-week dynamo has been in terrific form in the Premier League for Villa so far this season with his fantastic work in and out of possession.
Luiz currently ranks within the top 17% of midfielders in the division for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.17), the top 25% for assists per 90 (0.17), and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.79) this season.
These statistics show that the Villans whiz has been one of the top-performing players in the league in his position when it comes to scoring and creating goals.
The Brazil international also ranks within the top 28% of his positional peers for progressive passes per 90 (5.48), which shows that he can break lines and progress play from deep, whilst also being able to make things happen in the final third.
Appearances
31
30
Sofascore rating
7.36
6.93
Goals
9
1
Assists
5
6
Big chances created
9
5
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.4
1.8
Ball recoveries per game
5.5
3.1
As you can see in the table above, Luiz has the beating of Tielemans in a host of key metrics, in and out of possession, in the Premier League this term.
The former Cityzens youngster has offered more to the team from a defensive perspective, with more tackles, recoveries, and interceptions, whilst also delivering more goals and 'big chances' created in the final third.
This means that the 25-year-old wizard, who has been described as "smooth" on the ball by analyst Ben Mattinson, could have a greater chance of making an impact than Tielemans against the Blues.
Therefore, Luiz, who has started all 31 of his league appearances, should be brought straight back into the starting XI for this clash with Chelsea tonight.
The alternative options to start in midfield for Villa
Academy graduate Tim Iroegbunam is the alternative option for Emery in that midfield position, as the youngster has been part of the first-team squad this season.
He was an unused substitute against Bournemouth last time out but was selected to play from the start in the 4-1 defeat to Manchester City earlier this month, a game in which the youngster lost 60% of his duels (6/10) and was dribbled past twice.
Appearances
7
Starts
1
Goals + assists
0
Pass success rate
90%
Tackles + interceptions per game
1.3
Duel success rate
50%
As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old battler has been a bit-part figure for Villa in the Premier League so far this term, having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with QPR in the Championship.
He has not been trusted to play regular football in the top-flight as of yet and this makes it seem unlikely that Emery would throw him in against Chelsea tonight, with Tielemans, John McGinn, and Luiz all set to be available for selection.
Therefore, Iroegbunam should make up one of the places on the bench once again tonight and hope to make an impression if given an opportunity to shine as a substitute at some point during the match.
This would leave McGinn and Luiz as the starters at the base of the Villa midfield, with Tielemans and Iroegbunam on the bench as back-up options.
