A Look At Aston Villa’s Season So Far: Losing Jack Grealish, Dean Smith’s Exit, and Steven Gerrard At The Helm
A Summer of Spending
Aston Villa spent over £200 million in their first two summer transfer windows back in the Premier League.
However, this summer’s spending spree was backed by the £100 million they received for Jack Grealish from Manchester City.
Dean Smith had the challenging task of replacing the Villan talisman and brought in Emiliano Buendía, Leon Bailey, Ashley Young, and Danny Ings to help reshape the team.
A Good Start
Villa started the campaign with a 3-2 away loss to Watford but won and drew their next home games against Newcastle United and Brentford.
Two wins followed a 3-0 defeat away to Chelsea. One was a 3-0 home trouncing of Everton, with Bailey scoring his first goal for his new club.
The high point of the early season came with the following win away at Old Trafford. After Matchday Six, Aston Villa were 6th in the table.
Decline and the End of Dean Smith’s Tenure
The Villans lost their next match against Tottenham before the second international break. When the Premier League resumed, Villa lost four games in a row.
After starting the season brightly, they found themselves in 16th place. Another international break in November marked the end of Dean Smith’s time in Birmingham.
Steven Gerrard’s Appointment and January Signings
Steven Gerrard met with the board and was announced Aston Villa’s next manager on the 11th of November. The ex-Liverpool legend worked on making Villa a tough opponent to face.
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In Gerrard’s first 10 Premier matches in charge, the Villans won five, drew one, and lost four. They only conceded more than two goals on one occasion.
The January transfer window saw Gerrard make significant changes by bringing in Lucas Digne and getting rid of Matt Taylor at left-back.
However, the headline move was linking up with ex-teammate Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona on a six-month loan move.
An Up and Down Second Half of the Season
Aston Villa’s second half of the season has been mixed. There were initial signs of good times with a 2-2 draw against Manchester United and a 0-1 away win at Everton.
However, their 3-3 draw against Leeds United, where they let the lead slip twice, is a good example for the rest of their season.
Villa have experienced stretches of defeats and stretches of wins without an extended period of consistency either way.
Their latest favourable stretch of two wins and a draw comes on the back of four straight losses in the League.
Villa are currently safe from relegation as they host Liverpool on Tuesday, and they are fighting for a strong finish to the season.
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