Whether Ross Barkley should be dropped has been the topic doing the rounds, lately, and Smith seems to have seen enough after defending him in the build-up to this evening’s match against Leeds United. As many Villans have suggested during the week, he’s gone with a fresh and fast side.
Villa take the field without Jack Grealish for the first time in 48 PL matches as the Foxes come calling.
Last weekend, Villa notched their third consecutive clean sheet against Arsenal for the first time in the club’s history, capping off a roller-coaster run of 6 games in 18 days following the squad’s return from quarantine. It was a good victory that left Mikel Arteta a bit nonsensical, even if it wasn’t one for the ages.
Well, it was disappointing against West Ham. Some (me included) believe we were tired, some don’t. Whatever the take, Villa came out worthy 1-3 losers. So. What does Deano do against an improved Arsenal on a short turn?
It was a gritty and fairly unspectacular performance from Villa that saw them finally break their Saints jinx 1-0, as Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley combined flawlessly on the game’s only goal. Tonight, it’s West Ham, the season’s other surprise team, who’ve climbed up to fifth, three ahead of Villa. Should Villa win, that’s where we could end up at the end of the day with a little help from Leeds. Who probably also should also be included in the season’s surprises.
