Having recently lost his starting position to Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia made a triumphant return during Manchester United’s 4-2 victory over Aston Villa.
The former Feyenoord defender was called up for the Carabao Cup match and put in an action-packed performance.
Malacia coped well with his one-on-one battles with John McGinn and then Emiliano Buendía, two players well used to the physical battles that often characterize Premier League clashes between sides.
And unlike Luke Shaw on Sunday, he was rarely dragged out of position by Unai Emery’s roaming midfielders.
His disciplined performance was married to stat-backed enthusiasm, with Malacia boasting impressive numbers.
He made five successful tackles, more than any player on the field, while containing his opponents with aplomb.
Participating in an incredible 17 duels on the field, Malacia showed his determination to stay stuck and help his team through tough situations.
The fact that he’s won nine of those games might suggest he still has some physical improvements to make, but it also shows his willingness to fight for every ball.
Erik ten Hag will no doubt be pleased with Malacia’s work in possession, with the defender notching a whopping 96 touches while continually making himself available to his team-mates.
Only Victor Lindelof could boast better passing accuracy, as Malacia found a redshirt with a 90% success rate.
And not for lack of ambition, as the Dutchman managed five accurate long balls and a successful cross, as well as two key passes.
Malacia’s positional intelligence, composure and aggressiveness were on display at Old Trafford and it’s easy to see why Ten Hag made him their first summer signing.
(All statistics taken from SofaScore)
