What a season it has been for Douglas Luiz, it started with those summer transfer deadline-day bids from Arsenal and it has now ended with the midfielder being crowned Aston Villa’s Player of the Season.
There is still one game to go, as Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, if they beat Brighton on the final day of the campaign, will make a return to Europe for the first time since 2011.
One player that has played a huge part in that has been Douglas Luiz, who on Tuesday, won, not only Villa’s Supporters Player of the Season, but also the Players’ Player of the Season, as the club posted on their Instagram.
It’s well deserved for a player that wasn’t really featuring much under Steven Gerrard, before the Englishman was sacked and replaced by former Arsenal man, Emery.
Only Manchester City’s all-dominant manager, Pep Guardiola, boasts a better points record than Villa since Emery’s arrival, which is incredible given that the Midlands side were sitting above the Premier League’s relegation zone on goal difference when he joined.
And all of this has happened without Emery changing much with the team, January capture, Alex Moreno has been the only change to the XI.
ARSENAL’S SUMMER TRANSFER LINKS WITH DOUGLAS LUIZ
When Arsenal came knocking for the ‘unbelievable’ Luiz, many thought he was going to head for the exit door because he had less than 12 months left to run on his contract.
But, not only did the Brazil star stay, he also ended up penning down a new long-term contract.
And Villa have, as proven by Luiz’s double award swoop, benefited a huge amount by the player staying because he is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
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