Forget Carlos: 9/10 Aston Villa ace was ‘brilliant’ when Emery needed him most v Arsenal - opinion

Aston Villa caused an upset in the title race on Sunday afternoon by recording a sensational win against Arsenal, seeing one of Unai Emery’s stars show his importance to the squad.

What a return to North London it was for Unai Emery, who snatched three points from Arsenal to send Aston Villa back into the top four of the Premier League with just five games left to play.

While the two goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins were scored late, it was far from a ‘smash and grab’ narrative for the visitors, who put in an outstanding display to keep the Gunners tamed and then utilised the second half to play their football.

There were a host of top performances all over the pitch on a day that saw Emery’s options wilted by suspension and injury, with the likes of Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara absent in midfield.

That being said, the duo weren’t missed against Arsenal, as one Villa star shone brightly for his display at the Emirates.

John McGinn was superb against Arsenal for Aston Villa

To join Youri Tielemans in the engine room was club captain John McGinn, who epitomised a skipper’s performance against Arsenal to ensure his side secured the win.

The 29-year-old was instrumental for Villa in midfield, proving to be too much of a powerhouse for the hosts on occasions as he showcased his durability against the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.

Journalist Jason Burt was one of many to applaud the Scotland international’s display, naming him as one of the “brilliant” performers in Emery’s squad on the day.

Burt’s thoughts on McGinn’s role in the victory were echoed by journalist John Townley, who handed the Villa skipper a 9/10 match rating, via BirminghamLive.

“Operated deep alongside Tielemans and his physicality was needed against a fantastic Arsenal midfield. The Scot put in a top performance today – it was needed.”

Having started the season on the flank to then being integrated back into the midfield to cover for Kamara’s injury, Emery has seen the versatility of McGinn in full force this campaign, with his showing against Arsenal hugely influential.

The statistics that show how well John McGinn played against Arsenal

Playing 90 minutes at the Emirates, McGinn was a tireless and combative force that the Gunners were unable to handle throughout the fixture, as highlighted by the statistics, provided by Sofascore.

While it was Diego Carlos who was crowned man of the match by Sky Sports’ Gary Neville, his captain was another strong shout for the prize.

Without the defensive midfield mastery of Luiz and Kamara, up stepped McGinn and Tielemans to showcase their adaptability against one of the most in-form sides in Europe on what was a delightful day for Aston Villa.

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