Aston Villa Finds The Right Balance After Liverpool Victory

Few teams will be happier with the first month of their season than Aston Villa. Despite a turgid home draw with an evidently hapless Newcastle and a League Cup defeat to League One Leyton Orient, the mood at Villa Park is as perky as it's been in a few years.

Ten points from four league matches leave Villa second in the early season standings, with Saturday evening's win at Liverpool the undoubted highlight. Their success thus far has been built on a solid defence - some departure for a team who conceded 60+ goals in each of the last two seasons. The additions of Aly Cissokho at left-back and the return of the previously ostracised Alan Hutton at right-back have brought more experience, composure and balance to a back-line that has seen no end of chopping and changing in recent years.


With the ever-improving Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood playing ahead of them, Villa are starting to look a tough nut to crack - with their organised pressing at Anfield particularly impressive. And all this without currently crocked star man Christian Benteke, who'll improve their attacking play no end.

Villa's next four matches may come against Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton, but given their continuing knack of troubling the elite, there's no reason to suggest an immediate slump is a certainty. Could the West Midlands side be this season's surprise package?