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Aston Villa host their first Premier League fixture of the season at Villa Park as Bournemouth are the visitors to the West Midlands.

Dean Smith’s side were defeated 3-1 by Champions League finalists Tottenham in the opening game of the season last weekend with John McGinn scoring Villa’s only goal.

There were four competitive debuts given by the 48-year-old as Tom Heaton, Wesley Moraes, Trezeguet and Bjorn Engles were handed starts.

But will the Championship playoff winning boss make any changes after succumbing to defeat on the opening day? We take a look below at how he could select his side.

Despite losing the opening game, Villa actually looked like they could hold their own in the Premier League this season.

That McGinn strike was the game’s only goal until the 73rd minute when Spurs’ Tanguy Ndombele rocketed in a strike from long-range before Harry Kane’s four-minute brace in the final minutes of the match flattered them.

That being said, it is likely Smith operates a similar side – in fact, we only make one change from last weekend which sees Matt Targett make his debut at left-back in the place of Neil Taylor.

Smith was criticised by pundit Noel Whelan after the defeat, who claimed Villa invited the pressure on themselves by defending too deep.

The swap to Targett, a more attack-minded full-back would take steps in resolving that. Taylor managed just 0.6 key passes in the game against Tottenham whilst Targett averaged 1.4 per game last season.

Even though the club brought in two midfielders in the form of Douglas Luiz from Manchester City and Marvelous Nakamba from Club Brugge, there would be no reason to change the current trio of Conor Hourihane, Jack Grealish and McGinn.

Ahmed Elmohamady did little wrong in defence against Spurs, winning three tackles and making five clearances, so Frederic Guilbert may have to wait longer for his debut. 24-year-old Anwar El Ghazi could also keep his place ahead of Jota.

Wesley, meanwhile, seems extremely likely to remain in attack due to their lack of options in that area.

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[ad_pod ]Arsenal youngster Eddie Nketiah is flying and we’re all along for the ride.The 20-year-old has stamped his authority on proceedings following his loan move to promotion hopefuls Leeds United, and we’re loving it.Nketiah’s late goal versus Brentford on Wednesday night, which handed Bielsa’s side all three points and a place at the top of the Championship table, is his second in as many appearances in all competitions. And if he keeps up that form, let’s just just say he’s well on the way becoming an Elland Road favourite – especially if he ends their soon to be 16-year hiatus from the top flight.With Nketiah’s long-term allegiances sat cleanly on the lap of his parent club, Arsenal, who are currently in the process of rearing fellow youngsters Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson, interested parties hailing from the capital are keeping a close eye on their latest prodigy’s journey as he takes his place in line to become the “next big thing.”And on this occasion it was none other than Highbury legend Ian Wright; “Eddie, Eddie!â€

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The Premier League season is in full swing.

There have already been a fair few shocks and surprises in the top-flight, with Liverpool leading the way and Manchester City hot on their heels.

Norwich City, Aston Villa and Sheffield United are all adapting to life in the league following their promotion from the Championship and each of them have already notched their first victory.

Watford are the only team without a victory, while the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal have all tasted defeat.

There have been a number of excellent showings, though, so let’s take a look at the nominees for the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month award for August…

Ashley Barnes

Barnes has been a terrific asset for Burnley in the first month of the season.

He has scored four goals for Sean Dyche’s side, including a brace on the opening weekend in a 3-0 victory over Southampton.

Barnes also netted the consolation goal against Arsenal in a 2-1 defeat, along with Burnley’s solitary strike in the 1-1 draw with Wolves.

Raheem Sterling

As ever, Sterling continues to grab the headlines.

Manchester City have begun the season in excellent fashion, thrashing West Ham United 5-0 and also beating Bournemouth 3-1, though they were held to a 2-2 draw by Spurs.

Nevertheless, Sterling has been exceptional throughout, scoring a hat-trick against the Hammers, then netting once against Spurs and once against Eddie Howe’s men.

As it stands, he is the joint top-scorer in the division with five strikes to his name.

Kevin De Bruyne

The Belgium international makes everything tick for the Premier League champions.

He has laid on a total of four assists already this season and has made 14 key passes.

While he is yet to get on the scoresheet, City may not have scored their 10 goals without him.

Mason Mount

Already trusted by new Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, Mount has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water.

A gifted attacking midfielder, he scored the Blues’ only goal in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City and was also on the scoresheet as they beat Norwich 3-2 in a thriller at Carrow Road.

In addition to his two goals, Mount also has seven key passes to his name; he could be a key member of Lampard’s team for the months and years to come.

Tyrone Mings

Signed in the summer following a successful loan spell, Mings is already showing why Aston Villa were so keen to tie him down permanently.

A mobile, strong defender, he has been so good in the opening three games – Villa have won just one of them, but Mings has caught the eye – that he has even been included in Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad.

When one considers that he has made 32 clearances and won 10 aerial duels already this season, it is easy to see why.

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Teemu Pukki

Perhaps the most in-form player in the Premier League right now, the Norwich City striker has been exceptional in the top-flight and is the joint top-scorer in the division alongside Sterling.

Pukki has scored in every game thus far, including a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Newcastle United, and will be out to add even more as the season progresses.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has been left “seething” after midfielder Victor Wanyama decided against moving to Club Brugge in the summer transfer window, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

The Belgian side attempted to bring the Kenya international to the club but the deadline came and went on Monday, with Wanyama still in north London.

The report states that Levy had spent weeks attempting to facilitate Wanyama’s exit, with a deal agreed that would have seen Brugge pay £9m, with the potential to rise to £12m.

However, despite initially appearing prepared to make the move, the former Southampton midfielder had a change of heart and opted against the transfer.

Wanyama has yet to play for Spurs this season, though he was on the bench for the win over Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the season.

Bizarre

It feels strange that Wanyama has opted against a move that could have reignited his career.

The report states that he would have been forced to take a pay cut, as he currently earns £65,000-per-week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Unless this is pure greed from the midfielder then this would appear to be the wrong decision.

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Spurs have the likes of Eric Dier, Oliver Skipp and Harry Winks, who are all capable of playing in defensive midfield, and none of that trio have the same injury record as the Kenyan.

He is unlikely to gain many minutes in 2019/20; perhaps he is just happy to sit on the bench.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to Football Insider, Danny Mills has revealed he worries for Newcastle this season due to their lack of goals.

What did he say?

The Magpies currently find themselves in 14th in the Premier League table after picking up just one win from their opening four games of the season.

Now, Mills has suggested the Tyneside club’s lack of legitimate goal-scoring options could lead them to have a “tough” campaign.

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He said: “No, no. I worry for them, I worry for Newcastle. I look around and I know they had the good win but where are these performances going to come from week in, week out. Where are the goals going to come from? I think it’s going to be another long, hard, tough season for them.”

Cohesion

After a rough start to the campaign against Arsenal and Norwich, Steve Bruce’s side pulled off a shock victory away at Tottenham. The performance and result spoke of what Newcastle could potentially achieve this season if they fully applied themselves and stuck to a game-plan.

Club-record signing Joelinton has shown glimpses of what he has to offer with his strong hold-up play and sheer physical presence. Last season however, the Brazilian bagged himself 11 goals at Hoffenheim – not the numbers of a prolific striker.

But his nine assists across all competitions shows he also has a selfless side to his game, and that will only benefit the likes of Miguel Almiron and Christian Atsu.

Both Joelinton and Almiron only arrived this calendar year and it is difficult to expect them to be firing on all cylinders so soon into their Premier League careers. But, if they can form a partnership together, they can no doubt allay some of the concerns Mills has.

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Real Madrid beat Levante 3-2 at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Everything started off in a rather straightforward manner as the Galacticos took a 3-0 lead into half-time.

However, they almost threw the game away, with Levante netting twice in the second-half as they threatened a miraculous comeback.

Some of that might’ve been due to Casemiro being substituted on the hour, with the scores at 3-1.

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But if the reports coming from AS are true, Zidane wanted to play it safe with the Brazilian since he’s the only defensive midfielder in the squad.

Of course, Real sold Marcos Llorente in the summer and a number of fans have expressed their disbelief and anger at the report, with many left gobsmacked that they did not invest in the position during the transfer window.

One fan has even demanded a new defensive midfielder is bought in January.

You can see some of their reactions in the tweets down below.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Liverpool earned their 14th consecutive victory in the Premier League with a win over Newcastle and although the front three typically drew many of the plaudits, Andrew Robertson’s performance was also worthy of recognition.

The left-back is a consistent performer for the Reds and returned to his best following a disappointing international break in which he played a part in Scotland’s defeats to Russia and Belgium.

With the home side dominating against a Newcastle side looking to keep things tight and reduce space in the final third, Robertson was heavily involved in an attacking sense – his 118 passes was the second-highest of any player on the pitch, behind Virgil van Dijk.

The 25-year-old is so effective with his endless running and pace down the left-flank, and the width he provides allows Sadio Mane to find space inside which in turn creates several problems for the opposition defence.

That was how Liverpool scored their opening goal. Robertson found Mane just inside the box and the forward was able to curl in a brilliant strike, and from then on the Reds didn’t look back.

The Scotland captain is quickly earning himself a reputation as one of the best left-backs around.

His effectiveness in both attack and defence is a key reason behind that. Against Newcastle he contributed in all areas and was desperately unlucky not to have got on the scoresheet – and would have but for a brilliant save from Martin Dubravka.

Along with his assist, his 90% pass accuracy and two key passes, according to whoscored, show how key he is to keeping attacks flowing. He consistently makes himself available on the overlap and by doing so can create chances himself, or open up space in the middle for players like Roberto Firmino to display their talent, which he did on Saturday.

He is so comfortable with the ball at his feet and the opposition defence simply cannot afford to ignore him. He barely puts a foot wrong too, with four successful dribbles proving he is both a menace and a reliable option for his teammates to look to.

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Such reliability must come as a relief to Jurgen Klopp. There is no other first-team left-back, which underlines the German’s trust in him. Other defenders like Trent Alexander-Arnold have been dropped in key games – such as Barcelona away in the Champions League – due to defensive vulnerability, but that isn’t the case with Robertson.

He has improved his understanding of the game and his positioning makes him a dependable part of the defence next to van Dijk, with his two interceptions against Newcastle evidence of that.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There remains some uncertainty at Rangers over who their first-choice left-back is.

It is the only real position that doesn’t appear to have a guaranteed starter, with Borna Barisic, Jon Flanagan and Andy Halliday all aiming to make the berth their own.

With Rangers playing Feyenoord on Thursday, manager Steven Gerrard must make a decision and Barasic should be selected.

On the chalkboard

Andy Halliday is not a left-back for a start – he is a central or left-sided midfielder that has been filling in on the left side of defence, with 74 of the 118 Rangers outings Transfermarkt have recorded a position for coming in defensive midfield. He was rated as the worst player on the pitch against East Fife while lining up at left-back – just 4.85/10 on the BBC Sport website.

There remains a romantic opinion of Halliday; Rangers fans want him to do well for the club given his fierce loyalty – he has stood in the same stands as a fan – but being a supporter in itself is no longer enough.

He has made a number of mistakes in recent weeks, including against Livingston as he allowed a chance that hit the crossbar, while he also misjudged a delivery against East Fife, with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham sparing his blushes.

Those mistakes could have been costly.

Barisic must play

Barisic started both games for Croatia in the recent international break, the most likely reason for Halliday getting a run out against Livingston.

With Flanagan out injured for the next few weeks, Barasic is the only real choice at left-back.

He has been creating chances and has one “official” goal to his name – being robbed against St Joseph’s of another sublime free-kick – and two assists.

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He has improved his physicality and is pressing high up the pitch, while he is making a marked improvement in his recovery runs when tracking back – all evident from watching him play.

If Rangers are to continue to improve, Halliday must only be played when Barisic needs a rest and against weaker opposition until Flanagan is able to deputise.

Gerrard should make the Croatian his first-choice; he is the most sensible option.

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Some Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to respond to a video posted by the club’s official account.

The clip shows Maya Yoshida being twisted in knots by the players in a training ground ‘rondo’, before Sofiane Boufal pokes the ball through the Japan international’s legs whilst he tries to recover – truly humiliating stuff for the experienced Southampton man, to say the least.

Boufal has enjoyed a resurgence in his Southampton career after spending last season on loan at Celta Vigo, earning three consecutive Premier League starts across the last three outings.

The Morocco international appears to be enjoying his time back at the club, since dispelling transfer rumours about his future on his personal Twitter account in the summer.

Boufal certainly seems to be enjoying training with his teammates, but you can’t blame Yoshida for not having too much fun in the session!

Let’s take a look at some of the Twitter reaction to Boufal’s “naughty” nutmeg…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

On Tuesday evening, Garry Monk suffered his first league defeat as Sheffield Wednesday boss after Tom Eaves’ header was enough to hand Hull City a 1-0 victory.

The 40-year-old would have learned a few things about his team, but most glaringly that a potential problem could lie in their attacking department.

The Owls were without five-goal man Steven Fletcher as the 32-year-old surprisingly missed the match through injury, and his absence was harshly felt.

Wednesday had 12 attempts at goal with just three of them coming on target.

Sam Winnall was chosen to partner Atdhe Nuhiu and it just didn’t seem to click in the way it did against Middlesbrough when Monk’s men stormed away with a 4-1 victory.

The pair have only scored two goals between them this campaign with Fernando Forestieri also missing through suspension and Jordan Rhodes seemingly not in Monk’s plans, making just one substitute appearance since his appointment.

The lack of quality options must be a pressing concern for the Owls boss, but it could have been so much different if he was instilled before the summer.

Former boss Steve Bruce may have released a player that would have been of some use – particularly now with Fletcher out injured.

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That’s another point too. Monk is having to work with the cards he’s been dealt, at least until January, when he can bring in some targets of his own.

Gary Hooper enjoyed a prolific time in Scotland as he scored 82 goals in 138 appearances for Celtic, which earned him a move to the Premier League with Norwich, but after two full seasons there, he moved to Hillsborough.

His time at the south Yorkshire club was far from the goal-laden exploits which bore fruit in the SPL but it was still a respectable return, scoring 31 times in 89 matches.

At 5 foot 9, he offers a totally different presence to Fletcher, who averages 6.3 aerial duels won per game or the 6 foot 6 Nuhiu – something that’s quite clearly lacking in the Wednesday squad currently.

And even though it’s in hindsight, the club are now left rueing the decision made by Bruce.