Evaluating the midfield position can be a little more tricky than that of a striker or goalkeeper. When looking at Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans, his game may be underappreciated by many. Although he does well in directly producing for the club and has highlight-worthy moments, a lot of the Belgian's actions are more subtle and require a closer look to fully see what he means to Unai Emery's side.
In a Premier League that has Martin Ødegaard and Ryan Gravenberch, Tielemans is quickly establishing himself as one of the best true box-to-box midfielders. Seeing a classic No. 6 like that is becoming increasingly rare nowadays.
Many who play as a defensive midfielder are more reserved when it comes to the attacking responsibilities. Their focus is instead on playing in front of the backline and quickly getting the ball out of their feet to the players in more advanced roles.
Then the midfielders who are positioned in the more central areas tend to drift more as a No. 8 throughout the flow of a match. Whether it is stamina, skill set, or what is being asked of the manager, they are not asked to track back to the same degree as someone who then shields the back four from the brunt of an opposition attack.
Tielemans does it all. To this point, too many are still overlooking how great the Belgium international is at Villa. He is beginning to receive more of a share of his deserved recognition.
Providing a solid foundation for Aston Villa
From his work rate and ability to consistently be available and play the full 90 minutes alone, Tielemans should be receiving universal praise. Then add that he is always in a position to win the ball back and can often be found at the edge of the opposition penalty area; his efforts for the club become that much more admirable.
It is unknown, in general, what this Villa lineup will look like. Regardless of what happens, it is great for Unai Emery to be able to rely on and build around a player of Tielemans' caliber.