The £37m Aston Villa star who can unleash Jadon Sancho's potential

Aston Villa's Jadon Sancho is in need of a fresh start - and perhaps a familiar face could be the catalyst for that.

The winger made his Villa bow on Tuesday night against Brentford, coming tantalisingly close to extending the lead in the second half.

Harvey Elliott got off the mark for the club just before the end of the first half, before Sancho rattled the woodwork from an angle - though he arguably should have done better.

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Creating two opportunities during the match, Sancho showed encouraging signs on his debut under Unai Emery, operating from the left.

Former Borussia Dortmund teammate Ian Maatsen could be instrumental in boosting Sancho's performances at Villa. The winger flourishes with energetic support around him - players who can pull defenders away and create pockets of space for him to exploit.

One of Sancho's standout qualities is his ability to connect with teammates, so it shouldn't take him long to forge relationships with the likes of Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins.

But Maatsen is a player Sancho already knows well, and that familiarity was evident at the Gtech Community Stadium. Some of Maatsen's best attributes - particularly going forward - are his speed and ability to combine in the final third.

Together, Sancho and Maatsen could offer Emery a brand-new dynamic that maximises the potential of both players.

Since arriving from Chelsea in the summer of 2024, Maatsen has found it tough to cement a regular place in Villa's starting XI. While the defensive aspects of his game require improvement, if Villa are determined to get the most from Sancho, Maatsen could be the key to unleashing his potential.

Emery's other option at left-back, Lucas Digne, has featured in 31 of the club's previous 42 league fixtures and is evidently the manager's first choice ahead of the Dutchman currently.

Regarding Sancho, he's capable of playing on either flank, though it's widely known that the 25 year old favours operating from the left side.

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed to The Athletic in 2023: "Jadon was put up as the No 1 target for the right wing by the scouts, and when you look at his talent, I could see why. He's immensely talented and we haven't seen the best of him. I hope we do, but he prefers to play left wing."

Despite his left-wing preference - something Emery acknowledged on his debut - Sancho managed three goal contributions from both flanks during his loan stint at Dortmund in the latter half of the 2023/24 campaign.

At Chelsea last term, he netted four times and laid on five assists from the left wing in 29 outings. Operating from the right, he found the net once and registered five assists across just eight appearances.

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