Many a pundit predicted back in August that this was the season to break the Big Four up. Not just broken up; they’d be smashed apart, such was the certainty in some corners. Even The Special One got all giddy, as Jose, swayed by the tens of millions spent by Sheikh Mansour, went as far as boldly predicting the title was on its way to the City of Manchester Stadium.

Seems like someone forgot to tell Martin O’Neill, though. In a season that becomes more unpredictable as the gameweeks whizz by, the reality looks like this: if there is one team ready for a Champions League finishing position this season, then that team is not Manchester City; it is, quite clearly, Aston Villa. Having taken the scalps of Liverpool and Chelsea, the Midlanders once again proved their quality by winning away at Old Trafford for the first time in 26 years. Here’s a few pointers as to how they went about it:

A Well-Drilled Defence

The corresponding fixture last season saw United, with the help of Federico Macheda, win a 3-2 thriller that helped them push on to another Premiership title. Although the hosts had more or less the same number of shots at goal on Saturday, they didn’t have a single shot on target from inside the penalty box, as
this chalkboard shows.

Compare that to last season, where they had six on target within the final 18 yards, shows why Fergie’s team found it so hard to turn the game around this term. It would be too easy to point to the home team’s inept finishing, instead a look at this chalkboard shows the resilience of the Villa defence. Seven times they blocked shots inside their own penalty box, as this superbly-marshalled back four resembled a brick wall whenever United tried to find a way past.

Granted, they might not always keep clean sheets, but the continual high performance levels of Richard Dunne at the heart of the Villa rearguard show why he’s the current number one FPL defender, picking up Bonus Points in seven of his thirteen league games for O’Neill’s boys so far, as well as three goals.

Petrov’s Polished Performance

Stilian Petrov’s performance on Saturday was another example as to why he was voted Player of the Year last season by Villa‘s fans and players alike. The Bulgarian’s role within the Villa side cannot be underestimated; this chalkboard shows how he shielded the back four by breaking up the United play time and again in the defensive third of the pitch, intercepting possession eight times and winning every one of his seven tackles.

With Villa’s set-up designed to utilise attacking speed and width whenever possible, Petrov’s distribution is vital; this chalkboard shows how he feeds Ashley Young and Stewart Downing on the wings and James Milner in the middle without foraging too further forward himself, allowing license to the club’s more creative players, while keeping his position in front of Richard Dunne and co.

Squad Versatility

O’Neill clearly had an idea of how the first-team would be shaped when Gareth Barry finally left Villa Park in the summer. With the majority of the cash being splashed on then-injured Stewart Downing, the Villa boss recently admitted his plan was to introduce James Milner in the middle once the ex-Middlesboro winger was ready for action.

Downing’s recent introduction to the Villa starting XI has subsequently seen Milner move from the wings to the centre of midfield alongside the above-mentioned Stilian Petrov. Petrov’s transformation from attacking midfielder under the Irishman at Celtic Park to defensive midfield lynchpin shows just how adept O’Neill is at judging a player’s versatility.

Ashley Young’s ability to interchange with Downing on the wings, as shown in the recent Hull game chalkboard is part of a feature of Villa’s play, as the pair take it in turns in tormenting opposition full-backs.

Even at the weekend an injury to one of Villa’s own full backs, the impressive Stephen Warnock, never affected them. As this chalkboard shows, Luke Young, having started at right back, merely swapped flanks, Carlos Cuellar moved from centre half to right back, and James Collins slotted in next to Richard Dunne with the minimum of fuss.

This approach to player recruitment merely confirms the intelligence and forward-thinking of Martin O’Neill; this multi-functional squad not only saves on the transfer budget, but allows Villa a close-knit group of players, helping to foster the type of team spirit even his old boss Cloughie would’ve been proud of. A higher compliment, perhaps, you cannot give.