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.
17. John McGinn - 8
The skipper has worked harder than anyone and Villa would be very different without him. Not only has McGinn ran the hard yards, but he’s used his range of passing effectively to kick-start attacks. Adding goal contributions to his game now, too, with five goals and three assists in his 19 games. | Getty Images
18. Philippe Coutinho - 6
Played just 24 minutes before leaving for Al-Duhail. Looked brilliant in pre-season but never had a chance to impress on a competitive level this term due to a hamstring injury picked up in the 4-0 win over Everton. | Getty Images
19. Jacob Ramsey - 7
Only has three appearances to his name due to an injury. Scoring a brilliant goal in the emphatic victory over Brighton and will be keen to carry on that form when he. eventually comes back, likely after this international break. | Getty Images
20. Nicolo Zaniolo - 5
Currently faces an uncertain future due to betting allegations and it appears to have gotten to him as his performances have been short of what he's capable of. Some signs of talent have emerged but the Italian often gives the ball away cheaply. He's lost his starting place to Leon Bailey for the time being. | Getty Images