Matty Cash has been one of Aston Villa's best players this season, and he is now receiving the plaudits he deserves. Not too long ago, he would be the subject of regular criticism and would often be the player Villa supporters blame when they would lose a match. Now, Cash is being recognised as a valuable asset and despite the club's poor start to the season, his performances have remained a high standard throughout.
During recent transfer windows, Villa supporters have openly expressed their desire for a new right-back, feeling that a clear upgrade was necessary. Unai Emery has seen it differently. Cash has been a regular starter for the Spaniard since his arrival and when limited funds have been available, Emery has opted to invest in other areas of the squad.
Each player in an Emery team, must know every fine detail in their roles and what is expected of them in possession, in transition and when defending. Recently Cash has excelled in that aspect and it's clear Emery trusts him.
The Role Of A Right-Back In An Emery System
Cash has a far more conservative role at right-back, compared to his teammates Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen at left-back. When in possession, the left-back is expected to push up high and wide, whilst the right-back inverts and becomes part of a back three.
This image clearly shows that structure. Once Cash receives the ball, he has an option in Guessand at right-wing, who will try and stay as wide as he can. Alternatively, Cash can carry the ball forward and slightly inside of Guessand to link up with the midfield or support him by the touchline. But if Cash commits forward and the ball is lost, it is vital that he works extremely hard to get back, something that he does frequently.
Another way Villa can set up is with McGinn at right-wing instead of Guessand. This gives Cash the license to overlap on the wing as McGinn drops inside as a No 10, dragging the opposition left-back with him.
These heatmaps show the difference in the way Cash is told to play when Guessand is on the right compared to McGinn. We can clearly see that with Guessand, Cash supports more on the inside and doesn't travel as far forward as he does with McGinn.
In the Manchester City game, the heatmap shows that Cash hugs the touchline more going forward, and clearly has the instruction to support in attack when Villa are in possession. This setup was used in the last game because when City had the ball, Stones moved into midfield leaving a back three, so if Villa won the ball back, there was space for Cash to run into.
Emery likes his team to have a slow and methodical build-up because he wants to always maintain a shape rather than the game becoming frantic. Cash is a key part of that process, occasionally frustrating supporters when he drives forward just to cut back and pass to Konsa. It's all part of what Emery wants and Cash embodies that role so well.
Standout Performances
When it comes to defensive stats, Cash leads the line for Villa. This season, he has the most clearances, blocks, interceptions, recoveries and tackles (CBIRT) of any Villa player, with 84. Behind him is Konsa with 53. For passing stats, he continues to thrive, topping the charts with the most progressive passes (62), progressive runs (11) and joint top of passes into the final third and crosses (50 and 23). This shows how impactful he has been for Villa so far this season and it's obvious that it is part of the reason why he was recently rewarded with a new contract until 2029.
Villa's last match against City was probably his best. Scoring a superb goal and defending brilliantly one-v-one against Savinho and Doku. In that game, Cash had the most clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBIT) with 9.
Come for the goal 🎯 Stay for the celebration 🏌️♂️ pic.twitter.com/NqIN55VYAQ
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 26, 2025
The Tottenham match was also another super performance, this time he had the joint second most CBIT with 7, but was involved in a spectacular goal. His incredible half-volleyed pass was plucked out of the air by Digne, who then flicked the ball to Buendía to tuck it into the far corner.
Pure brilliance ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/nUL6bid4Am
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 19, 2025
Then finally the all important first goal of the season for Villa, after four games in the Premier League without one. A thunderous effort from Cash smashed into the net against Sunderland.
A bullet from @mattycash622 ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/qPJqfSQW4Z
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 21, 2025
He has been a consistent performer for Villa this season and his improvement defensively has been clear to see. Now his praises are being sung and when many would have thought he had reached his ceiling under Emery, recent performances would suggest otherwise.
