Aston Villa beat Burnley for second-straight win
Aston Villa erased any possibility of relegation with a convincing 3-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.
A tweaked starting XI was lively from the outset and produced goals from each of the three attackers, Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, and Emi Buendia.
Calum Chambers’ inclusion in the side as a holding midfielder proved to be a Steven Gerrard masterstroke. The former Arsenal man provided sufficient cover in front of the backline, allowing John McGinn and Douglas Luiz the freedom to push forward.
The wins sees Villa move to 11th in the Premier League table with 43 points from 34 games. With four games to play, Villa are one point back of ninth-place Crystal Palace.
Buendia, Ings, and Watkins superb
After a dip in form, Philippe Coutinho was replaced in the starting XI by Buendia, who nestled nicely behind forwards Ings and Watkins.
Supporters had been clamoring for a Buendia start and finally got it with sparkling results. The trio was dangerous from the outset, and it only took seven minutes for Buendia to find Ings with a darting run on goal which resulted in the England international scoring his seventh goal of the season.
Buendia doubled Villa’s lead in the 31st minute, ensuring the guests entered the half with a crucial two-goal lead.
On the other side of the break, Watkins extended Villa’s lead to three goals when he finished off McGinn’s left-sided cross in the 52nd minute.
Buendia, Ings, and Watkins worked in perfect harmony, filling the spaces in the attacking areas and creating a plethora of chances. The difference on Saturday, though, was the trio’s collective ability to finish prime opportunities; something that’s not always been a given this season.
Chambers effective in No. 6 role
It’s no secret that the Villa side has been calling out for a competent defensive midfielder.
Tim Iroegbunam earned his first career start as a No. 6 in last week’s 2-0 win over Norwich and gave supporters a glimpse of what the team has been missing.
Chambers got the nod at Burnley and had a similar effect on the side. His presence, positioning, and ball-winning ability provided good coverage for the Villa backline and forced Burnley to create largely from wide areas.
But more importantly, the existence of a No. 6 allowed McGinn and Luiz to join the attack more frequently. For most of the season we saw Luiz play as a defensive midfielder, but his inefficiencies resulted in McGinn and Jacob Ramsey dropping off often to help cover.
On Saturday we saw McGinn as lively as he’s been all year, and he went on to pick up a brilliant assist on Watkins’ goal.
Furthermore, Luiz moving up into a No. 8 role enabled McGinn even more confidence to join the attack as the Brazilian typically stayed back when the Scotsman advanced into higher positions.
Overall, Gerrard finally struck a perfect balance with his squad selection. No doubt a No. 6 is still top priority come the summer transfer window; the past two games have shown us what Villa have truly been missing.
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