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Aston Villa’s Away Record Remains Key for Promotion

By Angus Boyle

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Steve Bruce, Manager of Aston Villa during the The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Aston Villa and Peterborough United at Villa Park on January 6, 2018 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: Steve Bruce, Manager of Aston Villa during the The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Aston Villa and Peterborough United at Villa Park on January 6, 2018 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
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A sublime goal from Robert Snodgrass saw Aston Villa beat Sheffield United 1-0 on Tuesday night, giving Villa their seventh away win of the season.

It’s safe to say Aston Villa’s home record has made Villa Park a fortress, with just one loss for the season.

However, after that ‘snatch and grab’ win against the Blades, how has Aston Villa’s away record stacked up to recent seasons? Already, Aston Villa has three more away wins at this time of the season then they did during the whole 2016/17 Championship season.

Aston Villa’s away record is one of the key reasons that the club are currently in third. The club currently has the fifth best away record in the competition, with a total of 24 points from 15 away matches with seven wins, three draws and just five losses.

Last time Aston Villa had more than seven away wins in a single season was way back in the 2009/10 Premier League campaign as they recorded nine wins, with a total of 32 points from away games.

Key factors

To have conceded less than a goal per game away from home is fantastic and highlights the club’s defensive abilities. With John Terry and James Chester at the heart of defence, as well as Sam Johnstone in between the sticks, it’s clear to see why Villa have improved their away record so much compared to previous seasons.

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Credit must also go to Steve Bruce.

Yes, some think he is boring, defensive and not engaging to the fans. However, as Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed, “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.”

Bruce’s penchant for defensive emphasis club has paid dividends in his 1.5 years in charge; Villa has been in the top-four both seasons with fewest goals conceded among second division sides.

With some key signings under his tenure (Terry, Taylor, Elmohamady, Bjarnason, Tuanzebe), the backline has been much tighter. This has helped Aston Villa both at home and on the road.

To see Aston Villa so solid at the back is a lovely sight and something Villa fans have not seen in a very long time. Many thought Chester and Terry would take time to gel. However, they started to work well together reasonably quickly.

Combine Johnstone’s fantastic season in goal and it’s easy to see how we have improved so much at the back.

Having a compact defence means Villa have been able to hold teams when playing away.

Just like the game against Sheffield United, Villa only had one shot on goal, but with a good defence and goalkeeper, that’s all you need to get the three points.

Obviously, it’s not how the club wants to play every second week. The concept is simple. Being solid at the back. Waiting for the likes of Hourihane and Grealish to attack through the middle. Also, Snodgrass with Adomah out wide means the team can take their chances when they come.

Looking Ahead

If Aston Villa wants to be promoted, ideally through an automatic position, the team needs to keep up its away form. With 17 games remaining in the Championship, eight of them are away.

Villa are fortunate that the majority of the teams around them in the table will be travelling to Villa Park. Most of the teams that Villa will travel to are either mid or lower table sides so Villa have no excuse but to gain as many points as possible in the remaining away fixtures.

How many points is hard to predict. 18 points out of the 24 possible from away games seems like a realistic target. It could be the determinant between finishing 2nd, or finishing 4th. In terms of away matches, the next one is at Craven Cottage against Fulham on the 18th of February.

Combine that with plenty of home games left, where Villa play their best football, and automatic promotion should well and truly be in Villa’s sights.

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