Keep an eye on Aston Villa midfield as Dean Smith's men wait to pounce on Leeds United

At the end of last season, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone predicting Aston Villa would still be in the Premier League this time around let alone having got four games in without dropping a point.
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It’s hard to read Villa so far this season. On the one hand, they’ve played two struggling teams in Fulham and Sheffield United. But on the other, they’ve beaten Liverpool by a sizable margin as well as easing past Leicester City.

Under Dean Smith, Villa have tended to play some variation on a 4-3-3 formation, although with the arrival of Ross Barkley, this seems to have morphed into something closer to a 4-2-3-1 which becomes a 4-4-2 out of possession.

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The focal point of their attack is England international, Jack Grealish, and much of Leeds’ task on Friday will be to keep him quiet.

Here are three aspects of Dean Smith’s system to look out for:

New formation?

Under Smith’s tenure, Villa have had a tendency to be overly attacking, sometimes leading to defensive fragility. To counter this, Smith likes to get his wide players in the front three to drop in deep alongside the midfield three to form a situational 4-5-1 in a mid-block (with his team only really engaging the opposition once they reach the halfway line). This can leave the striker, Ollie Watkins, a bit isolated. Now that Ross Barkley is an option, Smith has been using him as a 10 and pushing John McGinn back alongside Douglas Costa in a midfield pairing. During the game, look to see if Barkley presses alongside Watkins and keep an eye on how Villa’s midfield shapes up.

Navigating the mid-block

WAITING TO POUNCE - John McGinn, centre, is part of the Aston Villa midfield, expected to play against Leeds United tomorrow night. Pic: GettyWAITING TO POUNCE - John McGinn, centre, is part of the Aston Villa midfield, expected to play against Leeds United tomorrow night. Pic: Getty
WAITING TO POUNCE - John McGinn, centre, is part of the Aston Villa midfield, expected to play against Leeds United tomorrow night. Pic: Getty

Villa can press high up the pitch in certain situations. However, once their high press fails, they will quickly drop back into a mid-block. This will see them adopt two lines of four or a line of four and five, and keep a zonal structure as they wait for Leeds to move the ball into their half. They will then pressure the ball carrier, being careful to maintain their shape. Although Villa won’t drop as deep as Wolves did, the game will hang on how well Leeds can navigate this mid-block.

Keeping Grealish quiet

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In recent seasons, Smith has played Jack Grealish as an 8, fielding him slightly deeper and using his playmaking from deep. With McGinn and Costa at his disposal now, Smith has moved Grealish into a wide left berth in the front three where he looks to pick up the ball and drive into the box. With Leeds’ injury crisis, it’s hard to know who will be tasked with marking the Villa talisman. Kalvin Phillips did keep him quiet two seasons ago. But with Phillips out and Grealish redeployed, one of Luke Ayling or Stuart Dallas will likely be responsible. If they can keep Grealish quiet, Leeds will blunt the Villa attack.

Jon MacKenzie runs All Stats Aren't We, a Leeds United media channel that focuses on the tactical and statistical aspects of the game

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