Aston Villa’s summer transfer window was seen as disappointing by many supporters.
Evann Guessand joined Aston Villa from Nice for a fee of £30.5million, yet he has failed to find his feet in the Premier League.
Guessand has been underwhelming for Villa in certain matches, with his performances coming under intense scrutiny at the start of the season.
However, it’s clear that Unai Emery continues to place a huge amount of faith in the Ivorian forward.
Evann Guessand has flourished in unconventional ways
Guessand scored his first Aston Villa goal in the Europa League loss to Go Ahead Eagles last week, and there is an anticipation amongst fans that this may kickstart a good run of form.
Guessand may not be easy on the eye, yet certain stats have outlined his importance in the team.
He has registered a pass accuracy of 86 per cent in the Premier League, showcasing how well he keeps the ball for Aston Villa.
| Stat | Guessand |
| Appearances | 12 |
| Starts | 9 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 0 |
While that is an underwhelming record, Guessand provides much-needed stability for Villa off the ball.
He has won 32 duels for Villa in the Premier League, the fifth-highest of any player in the squad.
Guessand has also won 15 tackles, and his work rate off the ball perfectly encapsulates what Emery has built at Aston Villa.
Supporters will understandably be frustrated with Guessand, yet he has played such a key part in Villa’s development over the course of this season.
While it’s clear that Emery values his contributions, there’s no doubt that he must become a reliable threat in front of goal.
Here’s where Evann Guessand must improve for Aston Villa
The biggest criticism that applies to Guessand is that he lacks composure in front of goal.
In Villa’s 1-1 draw to Sunderland, Guessand snatched at a shot from six yards out, inexplicably striking his effort straight at Robin Roefs.
The 24-year-old registered 20 goal contributions in Ligue 1 last season, and we have yet to see him replicate that goal-scoring confidence in England.
Whether Guessand plays through the middle or at right-wing, goals need to become a part of his game in the next few months.
Regardless of what he provides off the ball, if the goals don’t begin to flow, he will ultimately be judged as a failure at Aston Villa.
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