Aston Villa will entertain Sheffield United at Villa Park on Wednesday afternoon hoping to seal a much-needed win to get themselves out of relegation trouble. The Villans lost all of their last four matches in the Premier League before the football world came to an abrupt halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dean Smith will have to work his magic if the West Midlands outfit are to come away with maximum points in midweek. The home side will opt for a 4-5-1 formation with Anwar El Ghazi set to return as he looks to provide adequate support to Mbwana Samatta, who will lead the charge for the Villans up top.
4-5-1 Aston Villa Predicted Lineup To Face Sheffield United
Defence
Pepe Reina could get the nod to start ahead of Orjan Nyland, who might have to settle for a spot on the bench. Tyrone Mings will resume his defensive partnership with Björn Engels at the heart of Smith’s backline. Both centre-backs will try to keep things solid at the back and works towards securing a clean sheet versus the Blades.
Frédéric Guilbert will assume the duties of a right-back while Matt Targett laces up on the other side in the left-back position. They will both need to defend resolutely and provide some added support for the front players in the opposition half.
Aston Villa have the unwanted record of conceding nine goals in their past three league encounters, so its high time that they got their house in order ahead of Premier League football’s restart in midweek.
Midfield
Conor Hourihane will anchor the midfield along with Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz as they look to disrupt Sheffield United’s rhythm at the centre of the park. All three of them will try to use their superior physicality to win the midfield battle on Wednesday.
Jack Grealish will carry most of the creative workload for his team down the left flank. Anwar El Ghazi will be instructed to stretch the pitch and cause a lot of problems for the Blades on the break. Trezeguet will have to settle for a spot on the bench but might come to make an impact if required.
Attack
Mbwana Samatta will spearhead Dean Smith’s attack upfront. The Tanzanian striker has already scored two senior goals for Villa in six appearances. Now that he has gotten some time to settle down, a lot of people will expect him to step up and make a telling contribution in the final third against the Blades in midweek.
Keinan Davis will make up the numbers on the sidelines as he looks to come off the bench and score a decisive goal as an impact substitute.
