Premier League

Aston Villa fans react as Jack Grealish and Matt Targett make WhoScored’s Team of the Week

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Image for Aston Villa fans react as Jack Grealish and Matt Targett make WhoScored’s Team of the Week

Many Aston Villa fans have been reacting on social media after Jack Grealish and Matt Targett made WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Week, but not every supporter agreed with the duo’s inclusion.

WhoScored listed Grealish as their top-rated player for matchday nine as his display against Brighton & Hove Albion was worthy of a 9.29/10, eclipsing the efforts of Targett, Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure, Christian Kabasele and West Ham’s Roberto Jimenez.

Grealish was the only Premier League player from last weekend’s fixtures to warrant a rating above 9.0, as well, as he scored the equalising goal in first-half stoppage-time, assisted Targett’s second-half stoppage-time winner, and played six key passes – no player for any side registered more.

The 24-year-old’s five successful dribbles from five attempts was also the second-most completed by any top-flight player on matchday nine, while Grealish also led the standings for times fouled – six.

Birmingham-born Grealish’s performance against Brighton at the weekend featured the most attempted (63) and completed (53) passes of any Villa man, too, as he enjoyed the most time in possession of any home player (6.5%) and took the second-most touches (87) overall – only Seagull’s midfielder Dale Stephens (95) recorded more.

Villa fans have naturally lauded the £22.5million-rated (TransferMarkt) playmaker for his efforts among their responses to WhoScored acknowledging his performance.

Here are some of the messages shared…

While many Villa fans focused on Grealish being noted by WhoScored as the Premier League’s top-rated player for matchday nine, other supporters noted Targett’s place as the third-highest-rated player with an 8.76 rating – just 0.05 behind Man City’s Jesus.

Jesus had scored the opening goal as Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues beat Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday, and coupled his strike with eight shots, five dribbles, four aerial duels won and two key passes.

As for Targett, the Villans’ left-back played 65 passes against the Seagulls, delivered three crosses, registered three key balls, and made 29 of his passes in the final third.

Targett, who moved to Villa Park from Southampton for £15million in July (Daily Mail), also made four tackles, five interceptions, four clearances, one block, and registered one shot.

The 24-year-old’s 8.76 rating was also enough to see that Targett was included in WhoScored’s European Team of the Week for the best match rating of any left-back in one of the top five leagues, while Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry’s 9.68 piped Grealish to the left-wing honour.

Yet while Targett scored so highly with WhoScored and some Villa fans, there are many Villans supporters who felt the left-back was poor against Graham Potter’s Amex Stadium natives.

For those, they felt Targett was poor defensively having won only one of his four attempted tackles, and noted that he was often caught out of position having spent much of the tie in Brighton’s defensive half.

Another suggested that had it not been for his game-winning goal in the 93rd-minute, Targett may, perhaps, have not been rated so highly, as his strike came on ‘an off day’ for the Saints product.

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