Aina earned the recognition after delivering a standout performance in Nottingham Forest’s 2–0 away victory over Brentford in the Premier League last weekend. The full-back was praised for his defensive discipline and attacking contribution in a dominant display.
Forest teammate and fellow Nigerian, Taiwo Awoniyi, also featured in the Team of the Week after scoring the second goal in the win.
Explaining his selection, Deeney highlighted Aina’s effectiveness against Brentford’s wide threat.
“The Brentford team he faced are well known for getting crosses in from the wide areas,” Deeney said. “I thought he defended excellently at the far post in Forest’s 2–0 win, cleared everything. He was good at dealing with how people tried to run at him. He offered a lot going forward, too.”
Also included in the Team of the Week are Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa), Marc Guéhi (Manchester City), Jorge Cuenca (Fulham) and Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa).
The midfield and attacking selections feature Ibrahim Sangaré (Nottingham Forest), Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa), Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United), Estêvão Willian (Chelsea) and Igor Jesus (Nottingham Forest).
Aina missed Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco due to injury. The Super Eagles went on to secure the bronze medal after defeating Egypt 4–2 on penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time.
