‘We were a joy to watch’; Gerrard reveals encouraging stat underpinning current Villa success
Steven Gerrard was delighted with the way Aston Villa executed their game plan against Leeds and revealed a statistic proving things are going well.
The Villans made it three successive Premier League wins with a 3-0 triumph at Elland Road. The West Midlanders dominated the first half but had only Philippe Coutinho’s deflected shot to show for their efforts. The Brazilian was at the heart of most of the Villa attacks but it was Matty Cash who doubled their advantage on 65 minutes.
Calum Chambers put the icing on the cake with a sublime strike on 73 minutes. Leeds were better after the break but the Villa Park outfit were always in control.
And an ecstatic Gerrard revealed how his charges had pulled off their 11th top-flight victory of the campaign.
“I am very happy,” he told BBC Sport. “The team is in a fantastic place and the mood is good but we have to remain cautious and keep resetting ourselves. Things can change quickly in this league.
“The gameplan worked tonight for sure. The idea was to really dominate the middle of the pitch. We played through the press which gave us a lot of success through the transition. We were a real joy to watch going forward.
“We started both halves a little sloppy if there was one negative.”
Clean sheets have Gerrard buzzing
Villa went through a tough period of just one win in seven league outings. But they have hit back to beat Brighton, Southampton and now the Whites.
The last three victories have been achieved with a combined scoreline of 9-0. And Gerrard explained the significance of Emiliano Martinez blanking the opposition once again.
“Everything we planned to do in and out of possession came off tonight. We’ve scored three fantastic goals with another clean sheet, he told the club’s official website.
“I’m told that it’s the first time in 12 years we’ve kept three clean sheets on the bounce in three Premier League wins, so that’s a pleasing stat.
“The players deserve a lot of credit for that.”
Villa are ninth in the standings, with 36 points from 27 games played. A top-10 finish is now a distinct possibility.
However, Gerrard’s men will be severely tested in their nest two fixtures. The former England ace will take his team to the London Stadium to face West Ham on Sunday.
And six days later, Mikel Arteta’s in-form Arsenal will be the visitors to Villa Park.
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