Turn back the clock to last July and Aston Villa’s Premier League survival was hanging by a thread.
Following a 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the 2019/20 season finale, Dean Smith’s side limped over the line by one point thanks to Watford’s 3-2 loss at Arsenal.
It was a huge moment in Villa’s history given the financial implications so you can forgive them for celebrating as if they had won the league – or at least the game.
Six months on and the Midlands side have been transformed under lifelong fan Smith. Whilst a draw was met with delight last season, it is impressive wins and clean sheets that now result in Villa’s celebrations in 2020/21.
Shrewd signings
In stark contrast to last season, a big part in Aston Villa’s new lease of life have been the new recruits. After scrambling around in the summer transfer window ahead of their Premier League return in 2019/20, the club was the first to admit that it rushed recruitment and expensive signings did not meet expectations.
Other teams exploited Villa’s inexperience with Smith’s team keeping only seven clean sheets last season. This year, however, the club has already beaten its previous record to claim 10 clean sheets after 19 matches, a total second only to Manchester City this season.
Matty Cash has no doubt played an integral role in this feat. The former Nottingham Forest star blocked more crosses than any other player in the Championship last season and the English defender has replicated this form with his new side.
The defence is also boosted by Emiliano Martínez’s goalkeeping expertise. One of the greatest signings of the season not only for Villa but in the Premier League as a whole, the Argentine has left spectators questioning why his talents did not secure a start at former club Arsenal. Martínez has restored faith in Villa’s defensive capabilities and his 76% save success rate radiates support to the back four.
Ross Barkley is another name that embodies top-flight experience. As the only member of the squad to have made more than 200 Premier League appearances, Barkley has proven his effectiveness since his Villa debut and his impressive goal against Leicester City earned a nomination for the October Goal of the Month Award.
Villa’s attacking struggles have also been remedied by Ollie Watkins from Brentford. Labelled ‘The Beast’ by former boss Thomas Frank for his drive and dedication, Watkins was the second-highest scorer in the Championship last season and has made the transition look easy with his seven goals currently equalling the likes of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gündogan.
Cohesive defence and attack
Last season, the attack and defence were almost two separate units and a lack of cohesion exposed the back four to face the most shots by any team in the Premier League by this stage.
In the condensed pre-season, Smith busily laid the foundations behind the scenes and made his players watch footage of Liverpool and Lazio defending in order to improve defensive discipline.
This hard work and video analysis has worked wonders for Villa as they have three more clean sheets this season than they managed in the entire 2019/20 campaign. Despite adding Martínez and Cash to the defensive unit, Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, Matt Targett and even Kortney Hause have stepped up performances too.
Hause replaced Mings as he served a suspension, proving Villa’s newfound strength in depth, whilst Konsa and Targett have both found confidence after a demoralising 2019/20. Konsa, in particular, has been a revelation. The English defender has only been dribbled past once this season – by Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva – and has chipped in with three goals which has led his manager to earmark him as a future England player.
Smith has found the right balance between attack and defence through formation refinements, efficient clearances and an almost 80% pass accuracy to help build phases. Midfield duo Douglas Luiz and John McGinn have helped in this area and provide extra protection in front of the back four – with Villa benefitting from the latter’s full recovery from injury since Project Restart.
The front three also start deeper to support in defence and look to draw teams onto them before launching a counter attack, a game plan executed perfectly in their 7-2 triumph over Liverpool and 3-0 win against Arsenal.
Sights set on Europe
As Aston Villa continue to create more chances and concede fewer goals, the team is moving towards Dean Smith’s European ambitions for the club. The manager has detailed his five-year plan which includes a return to Europe once again after the distant memory of a 1982 European Cup win.
One player that is key to realising this ambition is captain Jack Grealish. Villa were fortunate to hold on to the attacking midfielder after substantial interest from top Premier League clubs in the summer.
The attention that Grealish has garnered from other teams is no surprise given the number of big chances that he has created so far this season – only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne ranks higher in this respect. The 25-year-old has participated in almost half of Villa’s Premier League goals and has also managed nine assists in this period – the joint-third highest in the league.
Signing a new contract in the summer, Grealish has reaffirmed his faith in his boyhood club and this decision means Aston Villa are not to be underestimated in England’s top tier.
A ‘once in a generation’ team
As the race for European places becomes tight at the top, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports that clubs like Aston Villa could have a ‘once in a generation chance of making that top-four position’.
Whilst Smith insists that he does not want the team to get carried away at the half-way stage, Villa’s current form and a new midfield addition in Morgan Sanson from Marseille has given the Villa faithful reasons to be excited with them on the right path to European qualification.
