Aston Villa will kickstart their 2020/21 Premier League campaign on Monday as they lock horns with Sheffield United at Villa Park. The Villans didn’t feature in last weekend’s run of fixtures but were seen in action in midweek when they secured a 3-1 win over Burton in the Carabao Cup. Hence, coach Dean Smith will be hoping for another positive result on Monday.
Predicted Aston Villa Lineup Vs Sheffield United
Defence
Smith has admitted that new signing Emiliano Martinez is ready for action. So it won’t be surprising to see the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper starting in between the sticks for Aston Villa, ahead of Jed Steer and Orjan Nyland.
In midweek, Smith started with a few fringe players like Neil Taylor and Ahmed Elmohamady, as well as Kortney Hause. They all may have to settle for the bench, with Tyrone Mings being the only defensive player set to retain his place in the starting lineup.
He is likely to operate alongside Ezri Konsa, at the heart of the four-man backline with Matt Targett and new signing, Matty Cash occupying the fullback roles. It will be interesting to see how Cash performs in the Premier League following a successful season with Nottingham Forest.
Midfield
There are a couple of surefire starters in midfield for Aston Villa including the in-form Douglas Luiz and the hard-working John McGinn. These two have the quality to make a difference and prevent Sheffield United from dominating the middle third of the pitch.
But with Smith likely to employ a 4-3-3, McGinn and Luiz could be partnered by Marvelous Nakamba as Aston Villa do need some athleticism and aggression when facing a team like Sheffield United. Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane are other options available for Dean Smith.
Attack
Ollie Watkins was quick to make an impression for Aston Villa in midweek. In what was his competitive debut for the club, the ex-Brentford attacker scored a goal against Burton and was effectively subbed off.
Watkins is more than likely to spearhead the Aston Villa attack this week. He will be partnered by Trezeguet and Jack Grealish in the wider attacking positions as Smith is likely to opt for a more technical approach against the Blades.
Alternatively, however, Grealish can be deployed in a deeper role, with Watkins shifting in a wider role, although that is unlikely as Wesley is currently out injured.
