Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa will be looking to get back to winning ways when they take on lowly West Bromwich Albion on Monday night. The Villans are coming into this tie on the back of a stale 0-0 draw against Burnley on Thursday evening, in a match where the Villans had an unbelievable number of chances to try and find the net. Despite producing 27 shots and seven on target over the course of the ninety, Dean Smith’s men were unable to find a way through the goalkeeper.
Frustratingly for Dean Smith, the Villans have won just one of their last four league outings, and if they hope to stay away from a relegation scrap at the end of the season, then they seriously need to pick up their game. The Birmingham-based club are currently sat at eleventh place on the Premier League table, despite having played two games less than most teams in the division. With the likes of Crystal Palace and Leeds United catching up to them, Jack Grealish and co. will be eager to keep pushing their way up the table in the coming weeks.
Team News
Dean Smith has been extremely unfortunate in terms of injuries this season, with the loss of Ross Barkley a few weeks ago coming as a massive blow. The Chelsea loanee had kicked off life in Birmingham in sensational style, but the untimely knock couldn’t have affected them any more. Matty Cash is set to return to the eleven after his suspension. Brazilian striker Wesley remains on the sidelines, while Trezeguet is another player who has been ruled out of contention for this outing.
Here Is The Predicted 4-2-3-1 Aston Villa Lineup Vs West Bromwich Albion:
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Aston Villa Lineup Vs West Bromwich Albion
Defence
When Arsenal put Emiliano Martinez up for sale, Aston Villa were surprisingly the only team that seemed to make a move. Now, however, it’s safe to assume that the move has paid off massively. The keeper has been in fine form all campaign, and his place in the team hasn’t been under question at any point. In front of him, expect the centre-half partnership of Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause, while Matty Cash and Matt Targett should take up the two full-back roles.
Midfield
Although Aston Villa didn’t win the game against Burnley in midweek, it’s safe to say that they had multiple chances to actually break the deadlock. They controlled the possession for the most part and had the larger chunk of the chances as well. This was thanks to the solid play from the two-man Villa midfield pivot of John McGinn and Marvelous Nakamba. With Douglas Luiz now back from his one-match suspension, Nakamba is set to drop down to the bench, with the former Manchester City man taking his place.
Attack
Jack Grealish has, without a shadow of a doubt, been one of the best players of the entire season so far. His ball-carrying skills have been on display in every match he has played in, and his influence on this team cannot be underplayed either. The Englishman is expected to start in the number ten role, just in behind the main striker. Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi are the two players who should take up the spaces on the flank. Ollie Watkins has been the first-choice striker at Villa all season now, and that trend is set to continue.
