Jack Grealish has been placed in the world-class category by Football Critic and their complex algorithm of statistics.

On the chalkboard

The football website has created an algorithm that measures the level of players in their last 20 matches, which takes into account the standard they are playing at and the performances they put in, with statistics holding varying weights for players in different positions.

As well as looking at this statistically, there are also bonuses awarded by their journalists for especially impressive performances, all coming together to create a score out of 99.

For the attacking midfield category, Villa talisman Grealish has placed well, falling into the "world-class' bracket. He's been awarded a score of 92, which is only exceeded by Neymar and Thomas Muller, who have recorded 99 and 98 respectively.

This technically makes him touted by them as the third-best player in his position in world football, being placed directly above Pablo Sarabia, Marco Reus, Alejandro Gomez, Dele Alli, Iker Muniain and Leon Goretzka.

Watch Aston Villa Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Big performances

Putting him among such esteemed company is an encouraging sign of how impressive he has been in a Villa shirt, and it can be suggested that it is fully deserved.

He has made 26 starts across the Premier League and Carabao Cup, recording a very impressive nine goals and eight assists.

Of the league goals scored, two of his seven have been decisive, while one was the first of the game and he also got two equalisers.

Calling Premier League experts ONLY: Which year were these top flight clubs formed?

He is effective in other areas of the pitch as well, completing 84% of his passes, with 21.6 of his 40.7 passes per game coming in the opposition third - highlighting how progressive he is in his play.

That is also supported by the fact that he has completed 2.4 dribbles per game and put in 3.7 crosses.

All of the above shows why he is such an important player for Villa and their survival hopes, while the aforementioned algorithm also indicates that he is a special talent outside the realms of Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa continued a concerning trend during the loss against Tottenham Hotspur.