Aston Villa fans are no different to any other football fans in the Premier League. Just as Leicester did in 2016, they would love to believe that their team could win the Premier League but how much water does that hope really hold? We take a look at the team’s history and how the bookies view their chances going into the new season.
How Aston Villa performed last season
Aston Villa finished 14th in the premier league, having garnered 45 points with 13 wins, 6 draws, and 19 losses. What events led up to this?
It all started when Dean Smith went all-in to improve the team’s current standing. So aggressive was he that the team ended up winning games against Tottenham and Chelsea, proving that they were worth their salt. Plus, the team acquired Danny Ings, Leon Bailey, and Emiliano Buendia, creating the perfect attack squad. The goal? – To get that European qualification. So, the odds were on their side, and fans enjoyed placing wagers in their favour on sporting sites like Betclic UK and others that were now leaning on Aston Villa wins. Long-lost fans were now making their way back home, hailing Smith for his excellent work.
As you can imagine, things looked good for a moment until the team lost Jack Grealish. Without him, the team was not quite as strong. And the team ended up finishing 11th with 55 points after getting 16 wins, 7 draws, and 15 losses. Soon after that, Smith left the team grudgingly, and Steven Gerrard stepped in as the manager. The team was scoring fast and hard at the start, and the wins were consecutive. However, the momentum soon took a dip, and before the team could restructure, they were losing points left and right and ended up finishing 14th, 3 positions lower than they did in the 2020-2021 season.
What caused this drop? Gerrard was keen on restructuring the team in preparation for the next season. This constant change of gameplay upturned things, and there were moments when the team had too many attackers but poor defence. The overall lack of balance eventually worked against the team.
How the team is shaping up
Aston Villa does not have any glaring strengths that one can point out without hesitation, which Gerrard must work on in the coming season. Many critics have stated that this team will not progress much without more signings in the coming season. Let’s not kid ourselves, going by Gerrard’s comments, he agrees with the critics.
He signed Philippe Coutinho, who plays a similar role to Emi Buendia. And instead of easing things at the club, this only complicates matters because accommodating the two has proven challenging. After all, one of them must take charge and step up.
The team must work on their:
- Defence: Too many mistakes have led to cheap goals when Villa have been on top. The defeat to Man City and their collapse highlighted this.
- Gameplay: Villa fans and now Gerrard have pointed out too many times that Villa are a 45-minute team. We need to find a way of performing for a full 90 minutes,
They must also work on defending their attackers and counter-attacks because these are vital areas in which they have continuously failed. Does this mean the team does not stand a chance? The team is quite aggressive, with a consistent starting team that often attempts through balls and crosses. Plus, they take a lot of shots which increases their scoring chances.
What are their odds of winning the Premier League?
The management has been working around the clock to build a stronger and more cohesive team. Some signings include Philippe Coutinho, Diego Carlos, and Boubacar Kamara.
Most fans would accept a top-half finish and a run in the cups. Improvement and consistency are key. Although the bookies don’t believe this team are capable of doing a Leicester and winning the Premier League, the odds suggest Villa should have a stronger 2022-23 season.