Premier League

Aston Villa fans react as Jack Grealish named Europe’s second-most in-form player

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Image for Aston Villa fans react as Jack Grealish named Europe’s second-most in-form player

Aston Villa fans have been reacting on social media after WhoScored announced that Jack Grealish has been the second-most in-form player in Europe’s top five leagues over the last six games.

Grealish’s recent form has meant the key Villans midfielder has averaged a WhoScored match rating of 8.04, which eclipses that of Sergio Aguero (7.71), teammate John McGinn (7.71), Ricardo Pereira (7.71) and Kevin de Bruyne (7.69) among the Premier League’s best performers of late.

The 24-year-old’s score would also place Grealish as the most in-form player in La Liga, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, with only Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo achieving a higher average at 8.12 after scoring four goals in his last six Serie A appearances.

Ronaldo’s match rating also dipped below 7.5 just once in his last six Italian top-flight outings, while Grealish earned his score from goals against Brighton & Hove Albion and Norwich City, as well as creating the winning goal at home to the Seagulls last weekend.

Grealish also only scored lower than a 7.3 once in his last six Premier League games, as he offered a presence in attack and defence with two tackles won against West Ham United, Arsenal and Norwich, along with interceptions against Burnley, the Gunners and Irons.

In attack, the Birmingham-born playmaker only failed to fashion a shot on goal against Arsenal, while playing four key balls at the Emirates Stadium, along with six key passes against Brighton, three against Burnley and two against Norwich and West Ham.

The former England youth international also completed five dribbles against Graham Potter’s Seagulls and three against Sean Dyche’s Clarets and Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers.

Villa fans have been reacting to WhoScored’s rating by suggesting Grealish has to be in line for a maiden senior Three Lions cap soon, given head coach Gareth Southgate’s comments in February 2017 when he stated that he would select players on form over reputation (Metro).

Southgate reflected on that statement earlier this month when he felt he could not live up to his own words over his central defensive options (Guardian), noting: “I understand at times I’ll get some stick because I try to say: ‘You want to pick people in form who are playing regularly,’ and it isn’t always possible to do it exactly that way.”

But Grealish is available, and many fans would like to see him representing his country…

Grealish being rated as Europe’s second-most in-from player among the top-five leagues has seen some Villa fans reflect on the performances of other players, with one noting toward Leeds United’s Pablo Hernandez.

The Spaniard scored 12 times and assisted 12 in the Championship last season (WhoScored), and was noted as being a surprise omission from the EFL’s Championship Team of the Year (Yorkshire Evening Post), while no place was offered to Grealish, either.

Grealish had ended the campaign with six goals and eight assists as Villa clinched the Play-Off trophy (TransferMarkt), while scoring important strikes against Second City rivals Birmingham City either side of a shinbone injury.

Both made the PFA’s Team of the Year, though, with Grealish praised as being a ‘talismanic captain [that] is fast becoming a legend at Villa Park’.

Villa fans reacting to WhoScored’s most in-form player list have also noted the inclusion of the other players on the list, such as AS Monaco’s Islam Slimani in third-place, with one Villans supporter noting that they would have welcomed the Algerian to Villa Park and still would.

Slimani joined Monaco on a season-long loan deal from Leicester City in August (BBC), following a previous temporary spell away from the King Power Stadium with Fenerbahce at the start of the year.

The 31-year-old, who set the Foxes back a then-club-record £29million in 2016 (BBC), has scored five goals and assisted six in his seven Ligue 1 appearances this season (WhoScored).

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