Aston Villa suffered a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday as our winless streak extended to eight games across all competitions with our struggles continuing.
Albeit we had two big chances in the first half which could have changed the direction in which the game went, the performance at Stamford Bridge simply wasn’t good enough as the hosts were deserved winners having been the better side throughout.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Chelsea: Woeful display ends in heavy defeat
It’s a concerning slump in form that shows no sign of coming to an end at the moment, as the level of performance has been woeful in recent weeks at both ends of the pitch.
In turn, Unai Emery has plenty to think about ahead of our upcoming fixtures, as although this is certainly a time to remain calm and support the players in their bid to turn things around, it’s hard to argue against this now being a crisis, or at least being on the verge of one.
Defensive issues are a real problem
Villa’s inability to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League, and the manner in which we’re continuing to concede poor goals, is a real problem, and that’s emphasised by our baffling inability to stop it from happening every week.
Although there was quality to Chelsea’s goals, we were far too easy to play against and through, and we’re just not solid enough in our structure or individual duels to keep teams out.
Having also conceded early yet again, it piles more pressure on the players to respond and takes more out of them, and so these defensive frailties must be addressed and fixed.
No urgency, intensity about our play
It’s been the case for a while now, but we’re not playing with the same level of intensity or urgency out of possession, and that in turn allows teams to feel comfortable playing us and gives them time and space to build their attacks and slice through us.
We’ve been passive for far too long now and we continue to lose 50-50s and individual battles, and that can’t be seen as acceptable as at the very least we must match the energy and effort of the opposition.
If it’s down to fatigue, we have a big problem as it’s only December. If it’s a tactical point of emphasis and a planned approach to set traps and back off, it surely has to change so we get on the front foot and hurt teams.
Quality in attack has gone missing
While we’ve got problems at the defensive end of the pitch, we’re also well off it at the opposite end when it comes to our attacking play and end product.
Ollie Watkins had two huge chances in the first half on Sunday, but his weak efforts were easily saved. Had either, or both, gone in, it could have resulted in a completely different outcome.
The sharpness, movement, positioning and fluidity to our play has gone missing, and while we do see glimpses of it at times, it’s nowhere near consistent enough and it’s baffling to see such a dramatic drop-off given how effective and threatening we were previously.
Emery must find answers, alternative solutions
Another key concern is that opposing sides have seemingly figured out what we want to do and how we want to play. You don’t see our opponents press high up the pitch as Emiliano Martinez tries to force them forward, they sit back, force us wide and shut down our moves.
Further, Youri Tielemans and his midfield partner are tightly marked, and there are very few passing lanes through the middle as we’re forced to go to our wingers who are struggling for form and confidence.
It’s admirable to stick to principles and not change the way we play as we believe in what got us here, but we have to mix it up too and be less predictable, otherwise our frustrations could continue.
Hugely important week ahead
Villa host Brentford and Southampton this week, and it’s arguably not an exaggeration to suggest that we must win both and come away with maximum points.
That’s not to say that if we don’t, serious question marks will be raised of all concerned, but it would cast major doubts over what our expectations for this season should be.
Those are two games we should back ourselves to win, but if we are to successfully do so, there must be a significant improvement on what we’ve seen in recent weeks. Based on his post-match comments on Sunday, Emery knows just how vital the Brentford game on Wednesday night is.