Aston Villa are not having a disastrous season at the back, but poor form from their strikers means their Premier League points tally is lower than it could be.
Aston Villa
League position: 10th (24 points)
Goals conceded: 29 (11th=)
Shots conceded per game: 13.7 (13th)
Percentage of shots conceded from outside box: 42% (16th)
Aston Villa are having an underwhelming season in the Premier League, with just a single win since the beginning of December.
That can largely be explained by the massive drop off in form from star striker Christian Benteke, who failed to score between the middle of September and January – a significant goal drought given that he notched 23 goals for the Midlands club last season, and four matches without scoring was his longest streak.
The Villans have failed to score in a scarcely believable nine of their 22 matches this term, yet remain in the top half thanks to a congested table.
Paul Lambert’s young team may be guilty of tracking the ball too often, as while they make the fifth most tackles per Premier League match, they are the third worst team for interceptions.
They sit tenth with 24 points, but will be wary that they are just six points ahead of the three teams in the relegation zone, and are far from safe yet.