Johan Manzambi marked his Premier League debut with a decisive performance in Aston Villa's 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The Swiss midfielder joined the Villans from German outfit Freiburg back in a reported £59.5 million deal. Fresh off the back of an eye-catching World Cup campaign, his arrival excited fans.
A knee injury prevented Manzambi from starting the campaign with Villa but he has since recovered and debuted off the bench in a 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest last weekend. Unai Emery handed him his first start against Spurs and he didn't let his manager down.
Manzambi Stars as Aston Villa Beat Tottenham
Manzambi opened the scoring with a fine finish in the 45+4th minute as Villa headed in at halftime one-nil ahead. He then turned provider, assisting Nicolas Jackson for the visitors' second in the 67th minute.
Emi Buendia made it three with a Goal of the Season contender as Emery's men piled more misery on the Lilywhites. Roberto De Zerbi's side did show signs of life late on through goals from Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hacke, but it was the Midlands outfit who claimed all three points.
Emery was delighted with the victory, the first his side have achieved this season. He also gave an interesting assessment of Manzambi's individual performance when speaking after the game (via Jacob Tanswell):
"Manzambi played a good match but not understanding yet everything with his position. But his qualities are over the tactical idea of what we are achieving, because he’s a fantastic player and he must feel free to exploit his qualities but always under our structure."
Manzambi's stock has grown in European football and he truly put his name on the map at the World Cup. He starred for Switzerland who advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Argentina.
The 20-year-old is part of a new era at Villa Park given the squad overhaul that took place in the summer. He is tasked with replacing Morgan Rogers who left for Chelsea in an £117m deal.
Manzambi Makes Aston Villa History
Manzambi didn't just impress on his full debut for Villa but he also became just the second player in the club's history to score and assist on their first league start. Kevin Phillips achieved said feat back in August 2005 against Bolton Wanderers.
It bodes well for the Swiss youngster and his team who will be hoping today can ignite their Premier League campaign. They now sit 15th in the table, with one win, one draw and three defeats in their opening five games.
Emery will be pleased to head into the international break on a positive note. His side are next in action on October 10th when they host high-flying Brentford at Villa Park.
