Aston Villa have only kept one clean sheet in their seven Premier League games so far this season.
That came during their previous match against Southampton, when Steven Gerrard’s side won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Jacob Ramsey.
Despite the Villans’ frailties at the back, one defender who we feel has been a bright spark for Villa and has done enough to put himself in with a shout of being included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming World Cup is Tyrone Mings.
Across five league appearances this season, the 29-year-old has made more clearances (25) than any of his team-mates, also making the third-most interceptions (eight) at the club.
In addition, with the seventh-highest percentage of completed passes (80.9%) at Villa, Mings has also made 14 passes into the final third of the pitch, more than the likes of attackers Emi Buendia (13) and Philippe Coutinho (11) and midfielder Douglas Luiz (six).
His overall performances have earned the centre-back a season rating of 6.76/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated outfield player at the Midlands club.
Indeed, Mings’ performance in Villa’s 2-1 win over Everton earlier in the season was described as “dominant” by Gerrard, which showcases the sort of impact that the 29-year-old can have for his team.
Bearing in mind how Harry Maguire’s performances for club and country have been called into question recently, and with John Stones picking up an injury while on international duty, selecting Mings in England’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar could be a smart move from Southgate, given how impressive he has been for Villa so far this season.
If the Villa colossus continues delivering solid performances for his club, he will surely give Southgate plenty of food for thought over whether he should be in the England squad in a few weeks’ time, having been omitted for the entirety of the ill-fated UEFA Nations League campaign.
