Aston Villa have made a promising start under Steven Gerrard, despite a tough opening set of fixtures which has seen them take on all of the current top four: Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.
During his 10 Premier League matches in charge, Villa have scored 14 and conceded just nine non-penalty goals, and given that they now sit top of our Season Ticker for ease of fixture from Gameweeks 24 to 28, it’s easy to see why many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are now considering their assets.
With Villa Park encounters against Leeds United, Watford and Southampton, plus away trips to Newcastle United and Brighton and Hove Albion, they certainly have one of the kinder schedules on offer, but who are the best players to own in FPL for this run?
In this, our latest Fantasy Football Scout Premium Members article, we’ll take a closer look.
THE OUTLOOK
Across Aston Villa’s 10 Premier League matches under Steven Gerrard, they have a record of five wins, a draw and four defeats, taking 16 points, which is a solid enough return given the opposition faced.
Defensively, they have kept clean sheets against Brighton, Norwich City and Everton, conceding 12 goals, though it is worth noting three of them were penalties.
According to Opta, Villa’s expected goals conceded (xGC) tally is 12.37, whilst their 77.3 minutes per xGC is only bettered by Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Arsenal.
Given that they have had one of the tougher schedules, whilst also getting to grips with a new tactical system, those numbers feel extremely encouraging.
ASTON VILLA’S DEFENSIVE STATISTICS UNDER GERRARD:
METRIC | TOTAL |
Games played | 10 |
Goals conceded | 12 |
Clean sheets | 3 |
xGC | 12.37 |
Non-pen xGC | 10.01 |
Mins/xGC | 77.3 |
Going forward, it is a little more underwhelming, having scored 14 goals from just 9.99 xG, though with easier fixtures and new recruits, you’d expect that to improve in the coming weeks.
ASTON VILLA’S ATTACKING STATISTICS UNDER GERRARD:
METRIC | TOTAL |
Games played | 10 |
Goals scored | 14 |
xG | 9.99 |
Non-pen xG | 9.99 |
Mins/xG | 95.7 |
2 years, 4 months ago
Morning all.
How is this WC draft looking?
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TAA-Cancelo-Digne-Ait Nouri-Dalot
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