Football writer Gregg Evans has claimed that Carney Chukwuemeka will get Aston Villa ‘a lot of points’ in the remainder of the season if he is used enough.
In the Villans’ last Premier League outing, they managed to claw back a two-goal deficit to claim a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
With the score at 2-0, new signing Philippe Coutinho was brought on for his debut, and his goal in the comeback saw the Brazilian steal the headlines.
But it should not be forgotten that Chukwuemeka also came off the bench to help turn the game around, and this was a point Evans made while speaking on the 1874 podcast.
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He said that if manager Steven Gerrard can continue to get the best out of the teenager, he could be a ‘big player’ for Villa during the remainder of the season.
Evans explained: “Coutinho will get the headlines for his goal and his almost assist. But I think Chukwuemeka was the real driving force and that midfield, I think he made a big difference.
“Man United players seemed scared of him, they didn’t really know what to do. He lost the ball a couple of times, but he was really direct, purposeful.
“And he’s going to be a big player for Villa now for the rest of the season, I think. If Gerrard can use him like that more regularly, then he’s going to get Villa a lot of points, I think.”
TIF Thoughts on Carney Chukwuemeka and Aston Villa…
Chukwuemeka has now played in six Premier League matches this season for the Villans. Considering he is still only 18 years of age and made a further two appearances in the season before, it’s impressive that he has already found himself in and around the first team as much as he has done.
The only fear may be that Chukwuemeka will enter the final year of his contract at the end of the season, and could well leave the club if his first-team opportunities become limited.
However, it bodes well that five of his six league outings this season have come under new manager Gerrard, proving that the Villa boss is certainly prepared to put his faith in the youngster.
In other news: ‘Look…’ – Gregg Evans reveals Bissouma transfer update at Aston Villa