The Aston Villa star who is quietly outperforming Bruno Guimaraes and Alexis Mac Allister

Aston Villa have enjoyed another scintillating season under Unai Emery, continuing on their extraordinary upward trajectory.

The Villans are still in the mix for a top-five Premier League finish and recently exceeded all expectations in the Champions League by reaching the quarter-finals, coming close to beating Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight. They’re also still in with a shot of winning the trophy with an FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium to look forward to.

There have been so many impressive players who have contributed to 2024/25 being a success but some have stood out more than others. The player of the season debate is hotting up and, for us here at Birmingham World, there’s one man who shines above and deserves to clinch the award.

The near ever-present. The midfield enforcer. The creative wizard. Yes, you guessed right. Youri Tielemans. The man has been exceptional.

Rated so highly among Villa fans and rightly so given his mega contribution to what has been an outstanding season, Tielemans has played more minutes than any other outfield Villan. But it doesn’t feel like he’s getting the credit he deserves from elsewhere in the Premier League, with other, bigger-name players often stealing the headlines.

Youri Tielemans outperforming Liverpool and Newcastle superstars

As he’s been deployed most often in a deeper-lying midfield double pivot, Tielemans hasn’t been able to blow away the Premier League with goals and assists. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been heavily involved in attacks, though, as the Belgium international has played a pivotal role in bridging play between the defenders and the forwards.

Tielemans plays such a crucial role in Villa’s structure as Emery loves to have one physical defensive midfielder - typically Boubacar Kamara or Amadou Onana - and one more creative, inventive playmaker at the base of what often turns into a four-man diamond with the wingers tucking in.

The way Tielemans reads the game so well and is able to break away under the high press is so impressive and allows Villa to be ruthless on the transition. He’s also brilliant at winning back possession, often coming out on top in duels or chopping in with crucial tackles to get his team back on the front foot.

The underlying data via FotMob proves this, as Tielemans has, compared to other central midfielders in the Premier League, been in the top 10 per cent for duels won (173) and tackles completed (50). The Belgian has also won 49 fouls, made 133 recoveries and been dispossessed only 25 times, less than once per match on average. Meanwhile, Tielemans has made 2,284 touches, created 56 chances - seventh out of all players in the league - and notched six assists.

For comparison, Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, who plays in a similar role to Tielemans, is behind in most of these statistics. Bruno has won more duels (209) and more fouls (97) but completed 10 fewer tackles (40) and made 12 less recoveries (121). The Brazilian has also been dispossessed 47 more times, had 261 fewer touches (2,023) and created 12 fewer chances. Both players have half a dozen assists.

Onto Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister, and the Argentine also falls behind Tielemans in several key metrics. The former Brighton & Hove Albion man has completed one more tackle (51) but won 17 fewer duels (156) so far this season. He’s also won 11 fewer fouls (38), made one less recovery (132) and been dispossessed on five more occasions (30). Mac Allister has created 18 fewer chances than Tielemans (38) and recorded two fewer assists (4).

Of course, there’s a lot more to football than the statistics, and players can often look better in the flesh, but it’s impressive to see Tielemans competing with and edging out some of the Premier League’s greatest. Long may it continue.