Amadou Onana

Onana wins the ball through strength and timing rather than subtlety, closing a passing lane and simply overpowering whoever is trying to keep possession. Once he has it back, he does not always pass it short and safe, often driving forward himself through the middle of the pitch. He is also a genuine threat arriving into the box late.

The balance he has to strike is when to commit to that run and when to stay disciplined in front of the back four. Villa need both sides of his game working together rather than one at the expense of the other. Watch how often he ends up in the opposition box at set pieces, because that is where his physical presence causes defenders the most obvious problems. That profile is exactly why Villa moved to sign him as their midfield anchor in the first place.