Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when season resumes; 25 matches available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel
Friday 3 July 2020 18:34, UK
The Premier League is back - but what shape are Aston Villa in for the season restart?
Ahead of the Premier League's return on June 17, we run the rule over Dean Smith's side, from fixtures and fitness to the manager's view and more...
Sky Sports' Gerard Brand:
There's no doubt about it, Villa needed to press the reset button. They were in free fall with five defeats from five, and the postponement of the season means key midfielder John McGinn is now fit to aid a push for survival.
Manager Dean Smith says this period has given him the opportunity to watch every game back, and discuss some subtle tactical changes with his side. That may include a more defensive approach, with Villa conceding the most shots (507) and errors leading to shots (24) in the Premier League. Villa have rightly been accused of being too open and too expansive against any type of opposition this term, and they sit 19th because of it.
Six of their remaining 10 games are at home, but will Villa miss the advantage of the crowd? Villa Park, although full for most of this season, can be a nervy place at times, so it will be fascinating to see whether the pressure is eased off some shoulders.
But all eyes will once again be on Jack Grealish, and he's absolutely fine with that intense strain: "I don't want to say this in an arrogant way, but I embrace [the pressure]," he told The Football Show recently. "I love the fact it's like that, if I'm honest. Being the local lad and captain of the club, I absolutely love it and try to take it in my stride."
His task? Keep Villa up. After spending a fortune last summer, they simply need to.
Aston Villa have one game in hand over their rivals, which will come against Sheffield United on Wednesday June 17.
Villa have the third-toughest run-in before the season ends, playing sides with an average placing of 8.4, behind only Bournemouth and Crystal Palace (8.2).
Villa face Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal at home, as well as having to travel to Liverpool and Everton. Throw in a Midlands derby against Wolves and a trip to fellow strugglers West Ham, and it won't be easy for Dean Smith's men.
Aston Villa 0-0 Sheffield United
Aston Villa v Chelsea
Kick-Off: 4.15pm; Live on Sky Sports
Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Kick-Off: 6pm
Aston Villa v Wolves
Kick-Off: 12.30pm
Liverpool vs Aston Villa
Kick-Off: 4.30pm; Live on Sky Sports
Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Kick-Off: 8.15pm; Live on Sky Sports
Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
Kick-Off: 2pm; Live on Sky Sports
Everton vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
West Ham vs Aston Villa
Villa are currently 19th, two points from safety but with a game in hand. They could finish as high as 13th, but that is extremely unlikely, and modelling by Experimental361 suggests they have just a 30.1 per cent chance survival.
Villa had a string of injury issues before coronavirus halted football, including long-term lay-offs to goalkeeper Tom Heaton and striker Wesley.
Wesley is unlikely to be fit for the league's resumption, and Heaton has already ruled himself out for the final 10 games, but key midfielder John McGinn, last season's player of the year, is back after an ankle break in December kept him out of the side, coinciding with some poor form.
Goalkeeper Jed Steer has also recovered from an Achilles injury picked up in November, while Frederic Guilbert's will be available following his knock against Leicester on March 9.
To put it lightly, not great.
Villa have won just one of their last seven in the Premier League, and have lost each of their last five in all competitions, conceding 13 in the process.
Their 4-0 defeat by Leicester was the last Premier League game played before football was halted by coronavirus, and pressure was building on Smith.
Smith told The Football Show in early May that Villa were eager to get back to playing, and he has used the pause in the season to analyse how his side have performed so far and what they can do to improve in the future.
"I've been having regular chats with the coaching staff about how we adapt to the new situation, what it might look like," he said. "But it's also given me time to review and reflect on what we've done so far.
"I've managed to do a video chat with each individual player and review their season so far, how they think they've done and how I think they've done.
"We have a once-a-week chat with the players, talking about little things and they watch a couple of games and review back to us. We've had to be a little bit innovative in what we do but the compliance of the players has been excellent."
Smith also told the Leaders Podcast: "I am not one who usually goes back and watches every game but this time I have watched every single game and there were certainly lessons to take.
"I've managed to do a video review with every player, which during the season is something I would never get the chance to do."
Grealish has been Aston Villa's shining light this campaign, but they are going to need more than him alone if they are to get out of trouble. Villa mainly face top-half sides between now and the end of the season, so it may be an uphill task. Ultimately, they will need more than what they have shown this season, but this price will be of most value if you are to back anything relating to Villa ahead of the restart.
Aston Villa to stay up - 7/4 with Sky Bet
Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when the season resumes. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches will be available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
Free-to-watch highlights of every remaining Premier League game this season will be available from shortly after the full-time whistle on the Sky Sports website, Sky Sports App and Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
