A spirited second-half display was not enough to bring Aston Villa any joy against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon, though the visitors did give an excellent account of themselves after going two goals down. One player who particularly impressed for Dean Smith’s side was Frederic Guilbert, the French defender who arrived from relegated Caen in the summer having agreed the deal in January 2019.
Guilbert, valued at £8.1m (Transfermarkt), has established himself on the right side of Villa’s defence, making 22 Premier League appearances this season, along with starting Sunday’s final. However, the Frenchman admitted: “I did not expect to play as many matches. I knew I was going through a very, very big move”. Despite perhaps surprising himself, the 25-year-old has become a regular feature under Smith and settled incredibly quickly to life in the Premier League.
No player for the newly-promoted side has averaged more tackles per game in the Premier League this season than Guilbert’s three, while he has also recorded two interceptions per game, the second-most of any Villa player, as per WhoScored. He has formed a one-man blockade down the right side for the top-flight strugglers, and although Villa have conceded the most goals in the division this season, 52, it could have been substantially more without the French right back’s influence. Against Manchester City, at the weekend he was also particularly resolute, as no player recorded more tackles for the beaten finalists than Guilbert’s four.
But the 25-year-old is not just a full back in the traditional mould, and he has also provided an attacking influence, playing 0.5 key passes per match from an average of 31.7 passes, leading to two assists, as per WhoScored. Having seamlessly transitioned from the first division in France to the Premier League, Guilbert has already equalled his record number of assists, two, in Ligue 1 for a season and could be set for his best creative return yet.
Despite being relegated last term and enduring another battle at the bottom of the league this season, Guilbert is thriving in England and even by his own admission outperforming what he had initially expected of himself. The Frenchman will be hoping he can go one better than last season and secure survival with Aston Villa to build on their return to the English top-flight in the upcoming Premier League campaign.
