Aston Villa’s win over Crystal Palace showed how manager Dean Smith has transformed his side from flops into heroes in just ONE YEAR
What a difference a year makes. Exactly 12 months ago today, Aston Villa were being picked off by the 10 men of a Watford team destined for the Championship.
This time, the boot was on the other foot as goals from Bertrand Traore, Kortney Hause and Anwar El Ghazi — the latter two coming after the first-half dismissal of Tyrone Mings — dispatched listless Crystal Palace.
Reflecting on the transformation, Villa boss Dean Smith said: ‘We have grown, become Premier League-ready and our acquisitions in the summer have strengthened us.
Dean Smith was all smiles again as his Aston Villa side shone in their latest Premier League win
Villa are looking up after a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace further demonstrated their progress
‘Tactically they are proving there is a growing maturity within what is the youngest average-age team in the league. It bodes well for the future, for sure.’
The scoreline certainly did not flatter Villa, who also hit the woodwork through Traore and the indefatigable Ollie Watkins, on the way to confirming the club’s best start to a top-flight season since 1998-99.
Having accrued 25 points from their opening 13 matches, they now enter a period of fixtures against fellow top-eight dwellers Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton that will provide a better indication of their progress — starting with Monday’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
‘Both squads will be suffering. Both clubs asked for the game to be played a day later rather than have just 48 hours, but that was knocked back so we will be ready for it,’ added Smith.
In-form Villa joined Chelsea in asking for their encounter on Monday to take place a day later
The emergence of former Chelsea winger Traore left Smith to reflect on his ‘really good top-end choices’ — he scored for the second match in a row and fellow winger El Ghazi has four in four.
By contrast, Palace were overly-reliant on Wilfried Zaha for creativity. At the other end, they have not kept a clean sheet since the opening day and appear to be still carrying the baggage of their seven-goal, pre-Christmas drubbing by Liverpool.
However, manager Roy Hodgson said: ‘I am not that concerned. It’s a question of results and the results colour all judgments.
That request failed but Villa will not mind games arriving quickly in light of their recent results
‘The last two results have been very bad ones. That’s a very worrying factor and somehow we have to find a better strength.’
Things will not get any easier, with away-day specialists Leicester travelling to Selhurst Park this afternoon for a fixture that reunites Hodgson with Jamie Vardy, to whom the manager gave an international debut in his England tenure.
‘He is a player who makes the absolute most of what he’s good at,’ Hodgson said.
‘You know when you play against Jamie that if any chances come his way he is likely to score.’
Smith’s players have been racking up the points and appear more of a unit than they used to be