Player Focus: Amavi Rapidly Emerging as Villa Fan Favourite

Three of Europe’s finest young left-backs moved on to pastures new over the summer. Baba Rahman secured a big money switch to Premier League champions Chelsea during the transfer window, while Layvin Kurzawa swapped Monaco for PSG. Then there was Jordan Amavi, who like Kurzawa departed the French Riviera. Rather than moving to a title-challenging club on the continent, however, Amavi instead made the switch to Aston Villa. 

While historically a big team, the Villans have flirted far closer with relegation than major domestic honours for some time now and given Amavi’s performances for Nice last season - his WhoScored rating (7.74) was the highest in Ligue 1 - many were shocked that the list of admirers was not longer. Nevertheless, his decision to move to Villa has certainly been the club’s gain. Left-back has long been a problematic position for the Midlands side, but in the 21-year-old; they have one of the finest prospects on the continent in the position. 

Amavi’s performance in Villa’s 1-0 win over rivals Birmingham on Tuesday saw him gain a WhoScored rating of 8.48, enough to secure his third man of the match award in his last four competitive outings for Tim Sherwood’s team. The Frenchman provided the assist for Rudy Gestede’s header, a sumptuous cross for the striker to power past Tomasz Kuszczak in the Blues goal. It was typical of the attacking threat Amavi provides for Villa. In the 4-3-3 formation Sherwood has utilised in four of the six Premier League games this season so far, Amavi provides the width on the left from deep. 

With one of Jack Grealish or Scott Sinclair occupying the left-wing berth, and the duo favouring to cut inside, Villa need to stretch the opposition, which is why Amavi is so crucial to the system to succeed. A player his age may have a heavy burden to shoulder, but he does so with aplomb. Bounding down the left flank, Amavi is a difficult player to stop, noted in that only wingers Riyad Mahrez (25) and Eden Hazard (23) have completed more successful dribbles than the left-back (19) in the Premier League this season. 

Granted, 23 of Amavi’s 42 attempted dribbles have been unsuccessful - the most in England’s top tier this term - but this suggests an unwavering confidence in his own ability that has at times been exposed. Tasked with providing the width, however, both the number of successful and unsuccessful dribbles come as little shock. Of course, this increases the possibility of mistakes being made in dangerous areas, most notably in Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace last month. 

Brad Guzan may have put Amavi in a tight spot by attempting to play the ball out from the back following a Palace set piece, but the latter’s naivety ultimately saw Villa sacrifice a point. Rather than thump the ball upfield, the young defender instead attempted to dribble his way out from the back. He, in turn, was robbed of possession of Scott Dann, who provided the assist for Bakary Sako’s winner in the Eagles’ 2-1 victory.  

Amavi is certainly a player willing to take risks, with 3 errors that led to shots on goal one of the worst returns in Ligue 1 of all outfielders last season. Nonetheless, at such a young age, this is an area of his game that can be worked on in time, and it's forgivable that in one-on-one situations the youngster doesn't always choose the right option.

Fortunately for Amavi, his searing pace means he is capable of recovering to perform his defensive duties. A total of 29 tackles is the most in the Premier League this season and reinforces the player’s statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘tackling’. Meanwhile, his impressive reading of the game - only Yohan Cabaye (29) has made more interceptions than Amavi (24) in England's top tier this term - allows for him to instigate swift counter attacks and, given his ability when in possession, he can then hurt opponents in the final third.

Amavi very much remains a diamond in the rough, but his performances certainly suggest he is well on the way to realising his potential, and the swiftness with which he is adjusting to the rigours of English football has been sensational. A WhoScored rating of 7.68 is enough to feature in the Premier League team of the season and is one the better figures in Europe’s top 5 leagues. 

There is work still to be done on his all-round defensive game, but ultimately, Amavi looks to be Villa’s best summer signing at present. He is crucial at both ends of the pitch for the Villans in their bid to consolidate their place among England’s best teams and after another smashing showing in midweek, supporters have every reason to be confident that their marauding left-back can maintain his flying form when they make the trip to Anfield this weekend, a happy hunting ground for Villa of late.

How far in the game do you think Jordan Amavi can go? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below