Aston Villa fans witnessed a change of the captaincy back in July, as Steven Gerrard stripped Tyrone Mings of the armband and handed it to John McGinn.
It was a big moment for the Scotland international, who has made a name for himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League since winning promotion with the Villans in 2019.
However, McGinn has largely struggled since Gerrard named him captain at Villa Park, and now, statistical analysis proves the responsibility is weighing down on him.
John McGinn struggling at Aston Villa
Well, as we approach the World Cup break, WhoScored have analysed the biggest declines across the Premier League from last season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has suffered the biggest drop-off from his average rating in the 2021/22 campaign as he finds himself 0.73 worse off, with McGinn fifth in the table after seeing his average drop from 7.17 to 6.53 this term.
In our view, that is down to him being given the captaincy.
You could argue that it’s down to Gerrard alone, but McGinn was performing well under the 42-year-old in the second half of last season, so the only common denominator is the changing of the armband.
Unai Emery should take pressure off John McGinn
Since replacing Gerrard, Unai Emery has simply got on with things, and has decided against making another change to the captaincy.
McGinn played 90 minutes against Manchester United on Thursday evening while wearing the armband, but we think Emery should consider giving it to someone else after seeing the statistics since Gerrard’s decision.
When at the top of his game, the Aston Villa No.7 is a superb footballer who brings real dynamism to the side, and with Emery’s first training session focusing on pressing the opposition, it would seem McGinn suits the style.
Hopefully, Aston Villa fans will see the Scot return to his old self soon, with or without the armband.
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