Sancho praised for ‘electric’ performance as Aston Villa beat Fenerbahce | OneFootball

Aston Villa claimed a 1-0 win over Fenerbahce to book their place in the Europa League last 16 on Thursday.

Villa could have scored more, but a solitary goal from Jadon Sancho was enough to seal the win and claim three crucial points.

The Villains are back in the win column after a rough spell and have attacker Sancho to thank for his decisive impact in the final third.

Sancho finally opened his account for the Birmingham-based club on his 19th appearance and delivered arguably his best performance.

He was ‘electric‘ on the left flank. He had a couple more chances to add to his tally and also created an excellent opportunity that Villa failed to capitalise on.

Sancho helped out his team defensively, winning five out of eight ground duels, three out of three tackles, and making one clearance.

Sancho needs to be more consistent

After struggling to break into the team, the Englishman made a statement. This is the kind of performance that earns players a run in the first team.

Now comes the hard part for Sancho – backing it up. One eye-catching night in Europe is encouraging, but it has to become the rule rather than the exception.

Sancho has often drifted in and out of games, waiting for moments to come to him rather than forcing the issue.

He played with purpose, aggression and responsibility against Fenerbahce, demanding the ball, driving at defenders and influencing the contest at both ends of the pitch.

That is the standard he should be setting for himself every week. Manager Unai Emery believes he has ‘huge potential’, but he needs to show it more consistently.

If Sancho can maintain this intensity and take the bull by the horns for the remainder of the season, he will give Emery a genuine selection headache.

More importantly, he potentially gives Villa a weapon they have been missing during their recent slump.