Amadou Onana has blown hot and cold during his first season at Aston Villa, so this was some time to sizzle down on the south coast.
Coming in for the injured Youri Tielemans, Villa’s best player this season, Onana had big boots to fill but proved the bedrock of their huge 1-0 win at Bournemouth, which – temporarily at least – moves them level on points with Chelsea and Newcastle.
Those two sides meet on Sunday, meaning Villa will certainly stay close to the Champions League places going into next weekend.
And that is when Villa host a Tottenham Hotspur side with the Europa League final on their mind, meaning it will surely be an under-strength Spurs heading to Villa Park on Friday night.
Villa certainly have the form going into this final push, while Onana has also come in to outline their two greatest strengths, which could help them not only in the coming fortnight but beyond what looks to be an uncertain summer.
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What a time, and a luxury, to be able to bring a £50m midfielder into the mix.
Life at Villa got off to the perfect start for Onana, a goal on his debut at West Ham, but several injuries have hampered his campaign and even when fit he has proved Unai Emery’s third-choice defensive midfielder.
Boubacar Kamara is undroppable when fully fit himself – he has now started their last four league games – while Tielemans is at least a little more flexible, capable of playing more advanced.
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Tielemans has though largely started alongside Kamara in midfield, making Onana the player among this trio with the fewest Premier League minutes this season: Tielemans 4,483, Kamara 2,667 and Onana 1,891.
Onana has therefore had to bide his time and be patient, but in just his fourth league start since February he showed his strengths, winning 10 duels against Bournemouth (the most of any player on the pitch), making four clearances, four recoveries and also six passes into the final third.
His marauding runs dug Villa out of trouble, and ultimately showed off Villa’s incredible strength in depth, which looks to be a key reason behind their form of six league wins in seven.
Ross Barkley, Donyell Malen and Leon Bailey were among the unused substitutes on Saturday, proving that even without Tielemans and Marcus Rashford, this squad is littered with talent.
Stability in ‘the best midfield in the world’
It ranks among the Villa faithful’s favourite chants, an ode to their midfield that misses out John McGinn but still declares it the best in the world.
Of course, supporters can be forgiven for a little hyperbole, but the stability and quality of this midfield truly is the foundation of Villa’s success under Emery.
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That applies to Kamara, Onana and Tielemans in particular, and they are all the more vital when you look at Villa’s summer of uncertainty in attack.
Rashford appears to be Barcelona inclined, Marco Asensio is unlikely to sign permanently, while Jacob Ramsey is admired by Newcastle and may have to be sold for PSR reasons.
Then there is Malen, who may feel aggrieved by being omitted from the Champions League knockout squad, and Ollie Watkins, Villa’s match-winner and now record Premier League goalscorer who would be right to seek assurances at the end of the season.
Watkins was angry to miss out on a starting place against Paris Saint-Germain, having done so much to get them there, and while he is now outlining his class by leading the bid to get them into the top five, there could be a serious conversation ahead with Emery given the striker is 29.
Which European competition Villa make could also be a factor in their summer business, and that makes this midfield all the more vital.
There are fewer whispers around Kamara, Onana and Tielemans leaving, meaning no matter the make-up of their forward line come the start of next season, continuity should be there in the form of this marvellous trio.
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