Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Premier League • England

Steven Gerrard reveals problem Aston Villa must solve to complete top-10 finish

Steven Gerrard during an Aston Villa match

Steven Gerrard has claimed his side needs to be ‘ruthless’ in order to stand a chance at gaining a Premier League top half finish this season.

Aston Villa have had somewhat of a rebuild over the last season after losing star-man Jack Grealish in the summer. The club brought in three players to cover for their missing playmaker, though things haven’t gone quite to plan.

The Villans currently sit 14th on 44 points with two more games to play. Last term, the club ended up in 11th on 55 points.

The prospect of ending up in the top half of the table is still in Gerrard’s mind. However, he states it  will be harder to achieve after the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.

“It’s on (top half) but it’s slightly more difficult now. We needed to take control of that and take maximum points today but my players are frustrated and I really like it,” he said via Leeds Live.

Villa will also be looking to vent their frustrations out on their upcoming opponents, Burnley. Gerrard has hinted that his team’s anger can help them overcome Mike Jackson’s squad on Thursday.

He added: “I like that they’re really frustrated and, hopefully, we can take that frustration out on Burnley on Thursday night because if we want to be a more consistent team at home, we have to be more ruthless and clinical in front of goal.”

This showcases the Villans’ desire and want to overcome their opponents. This could end badly for Burnley, however, as they find themselves in the relegation zone, one point adrift of safety.

Steven Gerrard on Villa’s need to score chances

Villa have only amassed 49 goals so far in the Premier League, which is six less than last year.

The Villans consistently get chances but can never seem to make them count. Strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings have scored 18 goals so far in the Premier League, with Watkins bagging the majority (11).

The striker has, however, been ruled out of contention for the rest of the season so Villa are without their talisman.

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard

Gerrard further added on his team’s frustrations regarding missed chances this season.

“That’s two games now in a short space of time where we’re a little frustrated where we haven’t taken the big chances that we’re creating. We’re doing ever so well to create them. A lot of away games we’ve been ruthless,” he said.

“At Burnley, we were clinical to take the points. We’ve had chances; Man City late on to sneak a draw, chances against Liverpool, Tottenham in the first half, double figures in the first half.”

This showcases that Villa’s hopes of a top half finish rely heavily on the outcome of their next match. Burnley’s desire to retain their Premier League status will also be heavily influenced by the way things go on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Villa are preparing to battle with West Ham for the capture of a Bundesliga defender this summer.