Henri Lansbury was given an opportunity to impress for Aston Villa against Sheffield United, but wasted it.
On the chalkboard
The 29-year-old has had to be patient for Premier League action, as he didn’t start any of Villa’s first 16 league matches of the campaign, managing just 38 minutes.
Therefore, it may have come as a bit of a surprise when Dean Smith selected him to start in the midfield against the Blades, especially with Douglas Luiz sat on the bench.
No matter the thinking behind it, having recorded five assists in two Carabao Cup games, this was Lansbury’s chance to show he should be used with greater regularity, but he failed to make use of it.
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An opportunity missed
The word that best describes Lansbury’s performance during the game is anonymous, failing to make any real impact at all.
He didn’t make any tackles despite attempting two, while he also contributed no interceptions, aerial duels won, dribbles, shots or key passes.
One interception and a pass success rate of 70% were made, but this really does not show somebody who was taking their opportunity to impress the manager.
In the end, he was the first Villa man to be substituted by Smith, being replaced by Luiz in the 66th minute.
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WhoScored gave him the lowest rating of anyone on the pitch alongside Jack Grealish, with 5.8, while The Birmingham Mail gave him a rating of 4, which was the joint-lowest with Wesley, as well as substitutes Luiz and Jonathan Kodjia.
Alongside their rating, The Birmingham Mail added: “First league start for Villa since May on what was a shock call prior to kick-off. Sprinted forward a lot in the first half, often beyond Wesley. Didn’t happen for him, though, and was soon dragged for Douglas Luiz moments after Fleck’s opener.”
Lansbury has had to wait a long time for a Premier League start, after that it would be a surprise if he got another one soon.
In other news, Aston Villa fans were split in their judgement of Grealish’s performance.