Aston Villa have made a strong start to the 2023/24 campaign, solidifying a Premier League top-six spot after eight matches and keeping tabs on those in Group E of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Unai Emery’s side have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup but have otherwise impressed.
Five signings were made in the summer transfer window, with £80.5 million spent. Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres, Nicolo Zaniolo, Youri Tielemans and Clement Lenglet were the additions, and some have made better impressions than others. The same can be said with the rest of the squad, with the congested fixture schedule pushing players to the limits.
With the October international break giving fans and the media alike time to reflect on the start of the season, we’ve sat down and rated individual players out of 10. There are 29 Villans judged, including three who are actually yet to feature but are expected to have a strong impact going forward. Click through the pages for a full analysis.
9. Clement Lenglet - 5
Has only played four times since signing on loan from Barcelona and all four appearances have been in the Europa Conference League. The defeat in Warsaw was a tough night for the Frenchman as he made a number of mistakes and didn’t show enough willingness to get back and correct them. Performances have been better since, though, lifting Lenglet to a five. | Getty Images
10. Sebastian Revan - 6
Looked decent when he appeared at the start of the campaign and was perhaps unlucky to not be handed a chance in the senior squad this term. The left-back is set for more game time in the Championship at Rotherham United, though, and will be hoping to progress. | Getty Images
11. Alex Moreno - 6
Finally back in the matchday squad after a long-term hamstring problem but is yet to get any minutes. Will be hoping to nudge into the XI ahead of Digne soon. | Getty Images
12. Lucas Digne - 8
The most improved award might well have to go to this man as he went from being a player destined for an exit to a regular starter. With five assists and one goal in 18 games this term, the left-back has staked a claim to stay in the side ahead of Moreno. | Getty Images