On the opening weekend of the Premier League season, the newly promoted Bournemouth met an optimistic Aston Villa side with high expectations from spectators.
This fixture looked quite simple for Aston Villa, with Bournemouth being the bookies favourites to being relegated and not spending too much in the transfer market.
Steven Gerrards first stint in management at Rangers was very successful, helping them win a first league title in 10 years and going undefeated over the entire league campaign.
He earned a move to the Premier League following Aston Villas sacking of Dean Smith after a disappointing start to the season.
Life in the Premier League looked promising, with four wins in the first six and only two defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool.
However, the second half of the campaign went under the radar, with frequent poor performances and a team that lacked identity.
Aston Villa spent £50 million in the summer, adding high-profile signings to the squad. They havent lost any first-team regulars from the previous season.
Many fans saw Aston Villa as a side which could be challenging for a European spot and attempting to be the best of the rest, however, there were many warning sides in the back end of the last season that many fans overlooked.
Poor form, combined with pre-season drama involving Tyrone Mings being stripped of the captains role and Gerrard telling him to look him in the eye and show him hes ready to play, has resulted in a turbulent start to the season and pressure rising on the manager.
This tactical analysis will delve into the Steven Gerrard tactics used by Aston Villa.
The analysis will display the problems that Villa faced during their match and why this bleak performance should concern Steven Gerrard and the Aston Villa fans who are expecting a positive season.
Lineups and formations
Scott Parker set his Bournemouth side up in a defensive-minded 5-4-1 system, handing out a debut to Marcus Tavernier.
The rest of the squad is the same one that helped the Cherries earn promotion to the Premier League.
This team was set up for the defenders to la
![Burnley Vs Manchester United [2–2] – Premier League 2025/2026: The Red Devils New Ideas And Potential Tactical Changes – Tactical Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Burnley-2-2-Manchester-United-tactical-analysis-350x250.png "Burnley Vs Manchester United [2–2] – Premier League 2025/2026: The First Steps Of The Post-Rúben Amorim Era – Tactical Analysis 5")
