This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Aston Villa will be looking to get their Premier League campaign back on track this Saturday after a disappointing performance last time out against Wolves, but despite the defeat against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, the display from one of Dean Smith’s debutants could be giving the Villa boss a selection dilemma ahead of the clash against Newcastle.
Bjorn Engels was absent from the match-day squad for the encounter at Molineux, and making his first Premier League start, £12m summer signing Ezri Konsa stepped in at centre-back to put in an assured display against the club’s West Midlands rivals.
The 22-year-old’s passing success rate of 81.8% was only bettered by Tyrone Mings from Villa’s defensive quartet, whilst the former Brentford man also provided one key pass.
This profile of defender – capable on the ball and able to contribute in linking up play – will be vital in Saturday’s game against Newcastle, particularly at home against a side from the bottom half of the table. Smith must look to play attacking, purposeful football in a bid to break down what will be a resilient team under the management Steve Bruce – Newcastle’s counter-attacking game-plan is evident from the fact they’ve averaged the least possession of any Premier League side this season.
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Although Engels’ has been a consistent member of the starting XI since arriving in the summer, making 11 league starts, Smith must consider whether Konsa’s performance against Wolves merits a second successive league start. While the old adage demands consistency at the back, experimenting with these defensive combinations could be crucial to the club retaining their top-flight status.
Konsa has shown his calm nature on the ball in both his league debut as well as in the Carabao Cup – where he scored in the 6-1 routing of Crewe – and giving the summer signing a chance to impress against Newcastle could be a shrewd move to break down a resilient, compact team who will be looking to hurt Villa on the break.