Aston Villa have been given a harsh reality of the Premier League as they are now pointless after the first two games of the season. They pushed Tottenham close and tried to protect their early lead but last season’s Champions League runners up just had too much quality, and eventually, they went on to win 3-1.
Against the Cherries, Villa fell behind by two goals within the first 15 minutes, and they only managed to pull one back through a terrific strike from Douglas Luiz. Dean Smith’s job isn’t going to get easier as now they will host Everton at Villa Park.
Here is what Villa need to do to get a result against the Merseyside club.
Trust the process and no need to panic
If anyone has seen Villa play in both the games, they will agree that they did relatively well. In the second half against Spurs, they did go deep into their half and weren’t able to keep possession long enough to even threaten on the counter. But you have to see the difference in the quality of players as well. Spurs were just too strong, physical and experienced at this level to get a result against them.
Against the Cherries, Villa played like a top side. They had 63 percent possession and managed 22 attempts on goal to Bournemouth’s 12. The first goal was a glaring error from Heaton, and the second one was a kind deflection. Villa had some good moments, but they failed to find the back of the net more than once.
Bournemouth are a decent football-playing side, so managing over 60 percent possession showed that Villa have got the means to compete at this level. We think that there is no need to panic after two results and Smith should stick with his tactics instead of making drastic changes.
Stopping the threat from the flanks
Everton relies heavily on their wide player to build-up play. Bernard and Lucas Digne are going to be a significant threat from the left and Villa will need their wingers to track back and help their side in defence. Richarlison and Seamus Coleman will also continue to be a threat from the right.
Keeping Sigurdsson in check
Most of Everton’s attack goes through the Icelandic international. He can open up defences with his passing range as well as score from a distance. Either one of Douglas Luiz or Conor Hourihane are likely to start in the defensive midfield position and whoever starts will need to keep Sigurdsson in check and close him down quickly. The more time he gets on the ball, the more the chances for Everton to split open Villa’s defences.
