Anwar El Ghazi underperformed in Aston Villa’s 1-0 defeat to Brentford and was criticised by some fans on social media. The 23-year-old has been inconsistent ever since joining on loan from LOSC Lille last summer, but he continues to start games despite offering very little in terms of goals and assists.
#avfc awful football. Elphick Hutton Whelan Hourihane McGinn El Ghazi Adomah are awful. Gutted we loaned out so many younger players could be phasing them in now the season is over
— Adam Villa™ (@Adam_Villa85) February 13, 2019
Players simply not good enough: Hutton, elmo, hause, hourihane,el ghazi, adomah. Pathetic. Embarrassjng #avfc
— Lewis Dunn (@lewisdunn96) February 13, 2019
El Ghazi has given the ball away numerous times tonight, and always in perilous places #avfc
— Andy (@Andy59805407) February 13, 2019
A lot of things went wrong tonight. Hause and El Ghazi are awful. Adomah and Hourihane should've scored. We never had a 2 minute spell of possession. #avfc
— David (@ItsDaveeeee) February 13, 2019
I don’t ever want to see Adomah or El Ghazi play for Villa ever again #avfc
— B_R_Y_86 (@B_R_Y_86) February 13, 2019
I've got some faith in Dean Smith to turn the team around at some point, but how El Ghazi is still starting a game I'll never know #avfc
— Mitch (@Mitchyboy777) February 13, 2019
Does anyone rate El Ghazi? He's a bit rubbish isn't he ????#AVFC
— Dan Bramwell (@danbramwell1) February 13, 2019
Adomah and el ghazi have the touch of an elephant #avfc
— Robert Gibbons (@robgibb01) February 13, 2019
El Ghazi channelling his inner Adama Traore there
— Rob Prince (@Robbb182) February 13, 2019
With players like Andre Green and Jonathan Kodjia sitting on the bench, many will question why El Ghazi isn’t given a rest for one of the two substitutes. The Dutch international has scored and created six goals in 19 Championship appearances this season, but he’s failed to score a goal since December 7, 2018 and has made only one assist since August.
Against Brentford, he made just nine passes in his 58 minutes on the pitch, completing only five of them. El Ghazi had one shot, created one chance and made one dribble. He wasn’t influencing the game, however, and was hooked off before the hour mark for Green as a result.
There’s every chance he could be dropped for Villa’s Midlands derby with West Bromwich Albion. Dean Smith knows he can’t afford to lose the game, so changes might be made.