Aston Villa got back to winning ways at Villa Park on Saturday, as they defeated Nottingham Forest 4-2 in an extremely entertaining game.
Leon Bailey and Douglas Luiz both starred, and they are two examples of players who have significantly improved under the guidance of Unai Emery.
The Spaniard has developed an incredible squad at Villa that has allowed them to challenge for the Champions League just 16 months after his arrival.
In January, the boss strengthened his squad further, but he had a particular focus on bringing in young talent, and there is one player who could break his way into the first team next season.
Why Alex Moreno & Lucas Digne could be replaced
Alex Moreno and Lucas Digne are the only two left-backs at Villa this season, which right now is the strongest, most in-depth position in the backline due to the injuries of Diego Carlos and Ezri Konsa.
The role has been shared between the two this season, with Digne starting the first 18 games of the season before picking up an injury against Manchester United on Boxing Day and Moreno starting every game since.
However, neither of them have been particularly impressive or convincing at both ends of the field this campaign, with the first choice still up in the air.
The duo are far better going forward than they are defensively, and although that clearly has its benefits, their defensive ability does make Villa vulnerable at times.
For example, the Spaniard ranks in the bottom 71% of Premier League full-backs for tackles won, while the former Everton star ranks even worse in the bottom 86%, as per FBref.
Aston Villa's exciting teenage upgrade
In January, Emery wanted to bolster his full-backs with youth, which led to the signings of Kosta Nedelijkovic and Lino Sousa.
The latter is currently on loan in the Championship, gaining vital experience for Plymouth, where he is starring.
Prior to the defender's arrival, Pilgrims manager Ian Forster described Sousa as “really exciting,” and went on to say:
"He's got a lovely left foot; he's athletic; he can handle the ball in tight areas; he can defend in 1v1 situations and he's good in the final phase as well.”
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
The former Arsenal gem has played five games already, making two starts in a left-wing back role, with the head coach trusting him to perform, and so far he hasn’t disappointed.
Minutes
64
Touches
50
Pass accuracy
88%
Passes into final third
2
Dribble success rate
100%
Tackle succes rate
100%
Clearances
3
Based on his performance against Coventry City, the 6 foot 1 youngster is capable of performing defensively and in the final third, which means he has a lovely balance to his game. The 19-year-old can bring the attacking threat that the current left-back options at Villa supply while also providing slightly more defensive security.
If Sousa continues to perform over the rest of his loan spell, there’s no reason why he cannot be handed an opportunity by Emery next season, and he certainly has the potential to be an upgrade on Moreno and Digne.