Championship 2018/19: Swansea City vs Aston Villa

Aston Villa got back to winning ways on Boxing Day in what was a tightly-fought encounter at Swansea City’s Liberty Stadium.

In this tactical analysis, we’ll break down the key aspects of the game and how Aston Villa’s solid defensive shape helped them on their way to three points.

Both teams went into the EFL Championship match on the back of 3-2 defeats and both of which after taking the lead. Aston Villa threw away a 2-0 advantage against Leeds United while Hull City came back from a 1-0 deficit to end Swanseas hopes of a third consecutive victory.

Two teams who have leaked goals in recent weeks, Aston Villa have shipped 12 in their last five while the Swans have let in 10 so you might have expected something of a goal-fest between these two sides.

However, both sides looked like they recognised their defensive vulnerabilities of late and adjusted accordingly.

Swansea City manager Graham Potter has used a wide range of different formations already this season. After showing weakness against counter-attacks at Hull, he ditched the 4-2-3-1 system he’s used in the last 3 games in favour of a 4-3-3.

By contrast, Aston Villa also made a slight change, ensuring they matched Swansea’s three-man midfield.

Having used a 4-1-4-1 for the most part of his spell at Aston Villa so far, manager Dean Smith dropped his two central midfielders in the back four alongside Whelan in the defensive phase. The two wingers – Bolasie and El Ghazi tucked in behind the lone striker, Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham.

Aston Villa control the midfield and force Swansea down the sides

Like they did at Hull last Saturday, Swansea City dominated the opening 30 minutes, but Aston Villa’s solid defensive structure meant that they did little with it.

Aston Villa’s two wingers move inside to help them stay compact. Number 22 – El Ghazi is available to press Swansea’s left-back Kyle Naughton if the ball comes back to him.

With Swansea City’s two wide midfielders – Leroy Fer and Jay Fulton closely marked and Matt Grimes being pressed, the holding midfielder is forced to go long and diagonal.

Aston Villa were effective at forcing Swansea City to play down the sides. When they did, they ensured that they outnumbered them in these wide areas. To combat this, Potter’s side looked to play long balls down the sides for the wide-men to chase in behind.

Swansea’s number 27 – Jay Fulton acts as the link between the defence and right-sided attackers. The midfielder was usually looking to receive the ball from a centre back and play first-time passes to Celina or Roberts – either short to feet or long for them to chase in behind.