With the 2019-20 Premier League season soon to restart, let’s focus on all 20 clubs and see where they are at ahead of the final nine weeks of the season as Aston Villa are up next.
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Focusing on Dean Smith’s Aston Villa, who may well have some key players back fit and are primed and ready for a relegation scrap with 10 games in their season to go.
Let’s take a closer look at all things Aston Villa when it comes to the season restart.
Outlook: It is looking pretty bleak for Aston Villa. They sit 19th in the table and even though they have a game in-hand they have a nightmare remaining schedule. Jack Grealish has been very good, so too has Tyrone Mings, but injuries have hit them hard on their return to the Premier League Losing John McGinn, Wesley and Tom Heaton to serious injuries within a few weeks hit them hard and although they spent big last summer and in January, there doesn’t seem to be a clear plan in place and their additions seem more about quantity than quality. This is all very Fulham-esque from last season.
Tactical analysis: The main problem for Villa this season has been conceding goals. With John Terry as their assistant coach and center back Tyrone Mings trying to hold things together, they have just been too cavalier in their play. Villa have conceded a league-high 56 goals so far but are the third-highest scorers in the bottom half of the table. Smith’s side take so many risks on the ball, many of them unnecessary.
Possible XI (4-1-4-1)
—– Reina —–
— Guilbert — Engels — Mings — Targett —
—– Luiz —–
— Trezeguet — Grealish — McGinn — El Ghazi —
—– Samatta —–
McGinn is ready to return from his lengthy ankle injury and Smith will be sweating on Wesley and Tom Heaton as they could be available for the final weeks of the season. That would be a big boost as Heaton’s steady hands will be needed in a relegation scrap, while Wesley was hardly prolific when he was fit but he did provide Villa with a focal point.
Remaining schedule:
Home: Sheffield United, Chelsea, Wolves, Man United, Crystal Palace, Arsenal
Away: Newcastle, Liverpool, Everton, West Ham
Predicted finish: It is tough to see Villa not being relegated. They still have six of the top left nine to play and it is hard to see them getting more than nine points in their final 10 games. Smith’s side have to sort out their defensive unit and if they can they have a chance. They main problem is, the only game they have against a fellow relegation rivals is the trip to West Ham on the final day of the season. That could be a winner stays up battle but out of all the teams in the mix at the bottom, Villa have a very, very tough remaining schedule.
