Aston Villa Defender Ratings: Lindelof Leads the Way as Emery's Backline Comes Under Scrutiny

Aston Villa have conceded more goals than we would have liked during the opening months of the season, but I think it's important to separate the performances of individual defenders from the wider issues that have affected the team, because there are players who have actually been performing very well despite some disappointing defensive results.

Victor Lindelof is probably the best example of that, and I don't think there can be too many arguments against him being one of Villa's outstanding performers since arriving at the football club.

When he signed, I think most of us expected him to provide experienced cover, somebody who could come into the team when required and perhaps operate as the third or fourth choice centre-back, but he's ended up becoming one of the first names on Emery's team sheet.

Dave Reed made an interesting point during our 1874 player ratings discussion about the importance of assessing players against the expectations placed upon them, rather than simply comparing everybody against the same standard.

In Lindelof's case, he has significantly exceeded what was expected of him, and Dave felt that alone justified giving him an A, particularly when you consider how important he's become to the structure of Villa's defence.

I initially had him down as a B+, but the more we discussed his performances, the more difficult it became to justify anything other than an A, especially when I've already described him as arguably Villa's player of the season in some of my recent articles.

The way Emery sets Villa up certainly suits Lindelof because he isn't constantly being exposed in the manner he sometimes was at Manchester United, but you still have to give the player enormous credit for his positioning, anticipation and ability to read situations before they develop.

He's hardly put a foot wrong, and the fact that Villa have already rewarded him with a contract extension demonstrates how important he's become.

Victor Lindelof — A

Matty Cash is another player who deserves considerable credit for his consistency, and I think we've reached a stage where his importance to Villa becomes even more obvious whenever he isn't available.

His performance against Manchester City was excellent, particularly the way he dealt with Jeremy Doku, and I don't think there's anybody else in the squad who currently offers the same level of reliability in that position.

Dave agreed that Cash has been one of Villa's most consistent performers over the last twelve months, and although Aaron Wan-Bissaka was brought in to provide genuine competition, neither of us believes he's done enough to seriously threaten Cash's place.

The only criticism I would have is the disciplinary record, because five yellow cards at this stage of the season isn't ideal, and when you're delivering school reports, you have to take that sort of thing into consideration.

I was probably leaning towards a B+, but Dave suggested a B, which I think is a fair reflection of a player who has been consistently good for a long period.

Matty Cash — B

Pau Torres has also had a good start to the season in my opinion, although I think he's another player whose performances can be overlooked when Villa are conceding goals.

I've spoken recently with Jacob Tanswell about how well Pau and Lindelof have played together, and even in matches where Villa have conceded several times, I don't think either centre-back has necessarily been responsible for the problems.

Pau made a poor mistake against Brighton on the opening day, but I thought he was excellent against Barcelona, particularly when Villa were trying to play through the high line and he was effectively operating as a playmaker from the back.

Dave was particularly impressed with that performance and suggested a B+, while I initially thought B- because Lindelof has been more consistent and Pau has missed some football through injury.

We eventually settled on a B, which I think is reasonable, although I still believe Pau doesn't always receive enough credit for how much his actual defending has improved over the last couple of seasons.

Pau Torres — B

Ian Maatsen has recently signed a new contract until 2032, which is a reflection of how highly Villa regard him, and I think he's another player who has made progress defensively since arriving at the club.

His injury disrupted the early part of the season, but he returned quicker than expected and that proved particularly important once Matteo Ruggeri was ruled out.

I thought Maatsen defended well against Barcelona, although he had a more difficult afternoon against Manchester United, when Amad caused him problems and he didn't receive enough protection from Johan Manzambi.

Dave highlighted the importance of Maatsen's athleticism and ability to get up and down the pitch, but we both agreed that the next stage of his development has to involve producing more assists and becoming a greater attacking influence.

There is still more to come from him, and I think a B- reflects a solid start without suggesting he's reached the level he's capable of.

Ian Maatsen — B-

Tyrone Mings is a slightly different case because he's been in and out of the team, which makes it more difficult to assess him against players who are starting every week.

I know people will probably accuse me of being overly generous towards Mings, but I think he's generally done well when called upon, particularly in matches where Emery has wanted his physicality and defensive presence.

Dave described him as a horses-for-courses player, which I think is a good way of putting it, because you can usually understand why Emery has selected him for particular opponents.

The win at Newcastle was a good example, while I also thought he performed well against Tottenham, and Villa have recorded some important clean sheets with him involved.

Dave initially suggested a C, and although there was a discussion about whether he deserved slightly more, I think that's probably the appropriate grade given the limited opportunities he's had.

Tyrone Mings — C

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has had a difficult time establishing himself since joining Villa, with injuries disrupting his progress and some performances leaving me unconvinced that he's capable of replacing Cash in the starting side.

I don't think he's been terrible by any stretch, but there has been a noticeable drop in quality when Cash hasn't been available, and I would have expected a little more from somebody whose defensive ability was supposed to be such a strength.

Dave was more inclined to give him some leeway because he's still adapting to a new team and his role is primarily to provide cover, which is a fair argument, but I think he needs to improve if he's going to become a more reliable option.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka — C

There are also two defenders who haven't really played enough football to receive anything other than a standard passing grade.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has made just three appearances, including a difficult outing at right-back against Manchester United, where I thought he did reasonably well considering the circumstances and the fact that it isn't his natural position.

Matteo Ruggeri was beginning to show some encouraging signs before suffering an injury, and I was particularly interested to see how he would develop because I'd liked what I'd seen of him previously in European football.

Unfortunately, neither player has had enough opportunities to make a particularly strong impression, so it would be unfair to judge them too harshly at this stage.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis — C

Matteo Ruggeri — C

Overall, I think Villa's defensive performances have been better than the number of goals conceded might suggest, particularly in the centre of defence where Lindelof and Pau have formed a partnership that has generally looked very comfortable.

There are issues elsewhere, particularly when Cash is missing and with the number of injuries Villa have suffered at full-back, but I don't think the answer is necessarily to start criticising individual defenders when some of the problems have come from the way the team has defended collectively.

Read the goalkeepers grades here.