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Aston Villa are on quite the run at the moment. The club made history at the weekend, stretching their record without dropping a point to ten matches as they secured a play-off place.
Dean Smith has done a phenomenal job with the club and after Villa’s financial troubles last summer, it’s been quite the turnaround for the Midlands side.
However, more recently there’s been a turnaround for Anwar El Ghazi too. The Lille loanee has been inconsistent since arriving in England but he’s now changing that and it’s something that may prove timely as the play-offs approach.
On the chalkboard
Aston Villa have looked tremendous going forward this season with the goals of Tammy Abraham playing a significant part in why they lie in fifth place in the table.
There’s also been goals and creativity in abundance from midfield. But a key issue for Smith going into the final month of the campaign will have been a lack of consistency from his wide players, especially after their narrow escape against Rotherham earlier in April.
El Ghazi played 45 minutes during that clash but failed to make an impact. In his last three matches, though, he’s shown tremendous form and is proving to be a valuable asset. He won the best rating out of everyone on the pitch during Villa’s win over Bristol City, per WhoScored, claiming an assist in the process.
The Dutchman then picked up another assist on Easter Monday, laying the ball on a plate for Jonathan Kodjia at the near post. He’s now got six for the season and his ability to create chances for his teammates is becoming a real thorn in opposition defences.
Don’t make it permanent
Despite his improved form, Villa need to forget about potentially making his loan stay permanent. Having played for Ajax, there is a huge unwanted trend the Villans could follow that sees similar individuals who have played in the Eredivisie fail to make it in the Premier League.
The likes of Luciano Narsingh, Ibrahim Affelay and Viktor Fischer spring to mind as players who simply failed to cut it in the top-flight.
El Ghazi isn’t Premier League ready and would likely suffer from the same misfortunes if Villa exercised their option to buy the player. Therefore, they must avoid it at all costs.