Youri Tielemans would be a shoo-in for team of the season

VILLA PARK — With 90 minutes on the clock and the scoreline reading 4-1 in Aston Villa’s favour, Youri Tielemans was still chasing players around.On this occasion, it was his own teammate, Donyell Malen, who had clearly fallen foul of the standards Tielemans sets – no matter the score.The Newcastle attack on this occasion had merely resulted in a Villa goal kick, and yet Tielemans still shouted and ran after Malen, who only turned to acknowledge the instructions after the third or fourth bark from the Belgian.

if(window.adverts) { window.adverts.

addToArray({"pos": "inread-hb-ros-inews"}); }Just like the occasion after Amadou Onana’s stunning goal, Villa’s fourth, where Tielemans pointed his finger to his head to preach concentration despite the three-goal difference, it was a moment no statistic could measure.It said as much though as every number which made clearer his impressive display, from the 11 duels won to the five tackles, three chances created and one assist for Ollie Watkins’ 33-second opener."The PERFECT start for Aston Villa" Ollie Watkins scores his 15th goal of the season pic.

twitter.com/7Q0KpKr0vG— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2025 Watkins may have then taken home the player of the match award, but Tielemans was a worthy candidate too, the metronome of a side who are simply on a roll and brushed off the midweek disappointment against PSG to keep the momentum of their top-five push going.if(window.

adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_mobile_l1"}); }if(window.

adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_tablet_l1"}); }#color-context-related-article-3643937 {--inews-color-primary: #8BC419;--inews-color-secondary: #F6FBED;--inews-color-tertiary: #8BC419;} Read Next square FOOTBALL .

inews__post__label__first-person{background-color: #0a0000;color: #ffffff;}First PersonI followed Aston Villa all over Europe this season - and learnt two huge lessonsRead MoreTielemans exuded calm on the ball as he has done all season. Moises Caicedo is the only Premier League midfielder to have played more passes in 2024-25, while Tielemans is second only to Bruno Fernandes for through balls, proving he is not just making Villa tick but always looking to make something happen.For good measure, he is also joint-fourth for big chances created (16), doing so largely from defensive midfield, where he has flourished and been a picture of consistency, starting every Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup game this season – crucial given the numerous injury issues for both Onana and Boubacar Kamara.

As a result, no Villa player has more minutes this campaign than Tielemans (even goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez), and he is surely the frontrunner for their player of the season, with perhaps only Morgan Rogers running him close.Tielemans should even be a contender for the Premier League’s team of the season, but you cannot help but think the fact he doesn’t wear the red of Liverpool or Arsenal means he won’t get a look-in.Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will rightly be in contention, so too Arsenal’s Declan Rice, and while there is also Morgan Gibbs-White and Fernandes for company, Tielemans – who would do a job at any Premier League club – deserves to be part of the conversation.

Tielemans would arguably have received more plaudits were he playing for Arsenal or Liverpool, but instead he has quietly gone about his business at Villa Park, one place his efforts certainly aren’t going unnoticed or unappreciated. The Villa faithful are more than aware that if they do go on to finish inside the top five, which form suggests they might, then Tielemans will have been a key reason why.And that would make for some return, for as Villa fans would regularly like to remind you, he cost them absolutely nothing.

.