Alan Pardew reveals ‘one of his favourite players’ who was ‘excellent’ for Aston Villa vs West Ham
Aston Villa kept their astonishing run of form alive with a narrow victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Morgan Rogers‘ stunning winner saw Villa beat West Ham 3-2, extending their winning run to nine consecutive games across all competitions.
Unai Emery‘s team went behind twice in the first half, but fought back and secured the three points when Rogers smashed home from range.
Villa are well on course to qualify for the Champions League this season, at least, but some fans cannot be blamed for looking even higher.
According to the bookies, Villa are the favourites to win the Europa League, with silverware surely on the way to Villa Park next year.
Youri Tielemans continues to ooze quality
Youri Tielemans was in brilliant form as Villa beat Basel in the Europa League on Thursday, and the midfielder carried that performance into the Premier League.
The Belgian picked out Rogers with a lovely ball for the Englishman’s first goal, and the 28-year-old’s contributions did not stop there.
| Youri Tielemans | vs West Ham (A) |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Accurate passes | 44/48 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Blocks | 2 |
| Fouled | 3 |
| Duels won | 8/14 |
A constant presence in the middle, Tielemans drew foul after foul, and completed almost every pass he attempted.
On the defensive side, too, the former Leicester City man was key, winning the majority of his duels and marking several key defensive moments.
Tielemans has missed much of the season through injury, with it being no surprise that his return to the starting XI has coincided with Villa‘s best form.
Speaking to talkSPORT after the game, Alan Pardew was full of praise. “It just shows you the sort of self belief that they have at the moment,” said the former Newcastle United manager.
“And another free transfer, Tielemans – one of my favourite players – excellent again in that victory.”
Big tests approach for Aston Villa
At the moment, it would be hard to rubbish any Villa fan’s dreams of the Premier League title next season.
Without a doubt, Emery’s team are among the form sides in all of Europe right now. Nine consecutive victories, 15 wins across 17 games, there is no arguing with that.
The next few weeks will see Villa tested again; however, games against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal will come swiftly.
Come through those, and Emery’s team will likely sit within striking distance of the Premier League’s top spot at the turn of the year – a position Villa fans could not have dreamed of just three months ago.