Martin Keown has heaped praise on Aston Villa newcomer Amadou Onana ahead of their Premier League game with Arsenal.
The 23-year-old arrived at Villa Park last month from Everton in a deal worth up to £50 million.
Manager Unai Emery handed the Belgium international his debut last Saturday at West Ham and he made an immediate impact for the Midlands outfit.
Onana fired the opener within the first four minutes of the game to put the Lions in front.
Lucas Paqueta levelled the scores from the penalty spot but John Duran’s second-half strike ensured all three points for the visitors.
Former Villa star Martin Keown heaped praise on Onana as he said the midfielder completely surprised him with his ‘excellent’ debut.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail (August 24, Page 108), Keown said: “Some new signings can adjust in no time at all, others take longer. Amadou Onana (right) surprised me with an excellent debut for Villa. Their £50million record signing dovetailed seamlessly into midfield alongside Youri Tielemens at West Ham”.
Aston Villa are now set to host Arsenal in a blockbuster Premier League clash on Saturday evening.
The Lions beat Mikel Arteta’s side home and away last season, with their 2-0 victory in April particularly proving to be damaging to their rivals’ title aspirations.
The Gunners will be seeking revenge over the Midlands side, but Villa Park is not an easy place for teams to earn points and so they are expected to face a difficult contest.
Onana enjoyed an excellent debut against West Ham as he scored a goal and was a dominant force in midfield alongside Youri Tielemans.
Manager Unai Emery will be hoping for another great outing from the 23-year-old this Saturday.
