Kortney Hause put in a colossal effort for Aston Villa on Saturday, despite the team going on to lose 2-0 against Sheffield United.
On the chalkboard
The 24-year-old was making his Premier League debut, having been given the call by Dean Smith in Tyrone Mings’ absence.
This will have been seen as a massive opportunity for the former Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back, as he had only been included on the bench in the league once during the current campaign.
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Hause may have ended up on the losing side, but it can be argued that he warranted his selection with a colossal effort at the heart of the team’s defence.
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Staking a claim
His performance provided some very impressive statistics, as he made 11 clearances and won nine aerial duels throughout the match – only Bjorn Engels recorded more clearances, while he was joint-top with David McGoldrick for aerials won.
He was also successful in the one tackle that he attempted, playing with a no-nonsense style that is hinted at by his pass success rate of 59%.
Perhaps surprisingly, it was the centre-back who saw more of the ball than any other Villa player, having 6% of the game’s overall possession.
Marvelous Nakamba was the only player to be given a higher rating than Hause by The Birmingham Mail, who said of Hause’s showing: “Won his first header against in-form striker Mousset and that set the tone.
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“Was OK in the first 45 on his first Premier League start of the season. Mentioned before he’s a man mountain. Justified Smith’s selection, as it was the midfield runners which caused all the damage. Booked and frustrated.”
The defender was unable to help Villa to earn any points on the day, in what were tough circumstances due to the level of pressure the defence was placed under by Sheffield United’s attack.
However, he certainly highlighted that he is capable of playing in the Premier League, potentially getting his name into Smith’s thoughts for further involvements.
In other news, one Villa man wasted his opportunity to impress against Sheffield United.
