Steven Gerrard will take charge of his first game as the Aston Villa manager when his team host Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park in the English Premier League. The former Liverpool captain was named as the replacement of Dean Smith during the international break and has his sights on improving the form of his side. Graham Potter’s side has lost their early season momentum. They have drawn five and lost once in their previous six league fixtures.
Aston Villa is ranked 16th in the league table, and the team has earned ten points. They have scored 14 goals and conceded 20. Villa enters this match after suffering their fifth straight defeat. The team was beaten by Southampton, and this was Dean Smith’s last match in charge as Villa manager. Villa had more attempts than their opponents and created an expected goal rate of 0.93. Emi Buendia and Anwar El Ghazi attempted three shots each but were unable to find the back of the net. Matt Targett attempted 16 passes into the final third as Villa attacked more from the left side.
The biggest struggle for Villa this season has been their defense. They have the third-worst defensive record in the league, and the expected goal against rate is 18.06. The expected goal rate is 12.08, and Villa have created the least number of counterattacks in the Premier League. They average 11 shots per match with a shots accuracy rate of 31.4%.
It will be interesting to see how Steven Gerrard lines up his Aston Villa team in his first game as the manager of the team. Danny Ings could return to the playing XI after missing the previous two matches due to coronavirus. Eric Konsa is available after suspension, and there are still doubts over the fitness of Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba, who got injured during international duty.
Graham Potter will expect his side to get back on track after collecting just five points in the last six games. The Seagulls are ranked seventh in the Premier League standings with 17 points. They played out a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in the previous round. The above chart shows the expected threat creation zones for Brighton in their previous match. They attacked more from the right side and attempted 12 shots in the match. Tariq Lamptey operated from the right and attempted nine crosses. He had the highest expected threat rate from passes for his side.
The above chart shows that Brighton players attempted seven shots from inside the opposition’s penalty box and scored a goal. The Seagulls have scored 12 goals this season, with an expected goal rate of 15.39. They have one of the best defenses in the league and have only conceded 12 goals, along with four clean sheets. Potter’s men have attempted 129 shots with a shots accuracy rate of 36.4%.
Leandro Trossard has scored a goal in each of the previous two fixtures. He led the attack in those games, while Neal Maupay had to settle on the bench. The visitors will be without their first-choice goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, who is serving a two-match ban for a red card. Aaron Connolly is available, but they will be without Enock Mwepu for this match. Dan Burn’s fitness will also be assessed before the match.
Steven Gerrard will manage his first game in the Premier League and will hope to collect three points in his first game as the Villa manager. The Seagulls have the momentum going into this match. Graham Potter will try to put pressure on the home team and look to earn their first victory after six games.
