Talking Tactics: How Villa can find home comforts against Ajax

Aston Villa's home record was the envy of the Premier League not so long ago.

In December, Unai Emery's side beat Arsenal 1-0 for a 15th successive league win at Villa Park.

Since then, though, there has been a noticeable drop-off — a draw against bottom side Sheffield United was followed by home defeats to Newcastle, Chelsea, Manchester United and most recently Tottenham.

We consider how Villa can rediscover their formidable home form ahead of tonight's Europa Conference League clash with Ajax.

Rebuilding confidence

Even after their recent dip, Villa still boast the fourth-best home record in the Premier League — bettered only by Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

They have won 10 of 14, scoring 35 goals in the process and losing just three times.

And Emery's side have also come out on top in all of their Conference League games at Villa Park so far this season.

They will do well to remember that if any nervousness or anxiety creeps in for the second leg of their last-16 contest against Ajax.

The tie is finely poised after a goalless draw in the first leg in Amsterdam — but Villa should fancy their chances as they look to overcome opponents with a mediocre away record.

Harnessing the crowd and playing with the kind of unrestrained confidence they showed earlier in the season will be key as they look to progress further in the competition.

Taking control

Emery has repeatedly demonstrated his tactical acumen since returning to the Premier League in 2022.

His ability to set Villa up to combat their opposition's strengths has rightly been applauded — 1-0 home wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in December were perhaps the best examples.

There has been a suggestion in recent weeks, though, that Villa have deviated from what served them so well earlier in the campaign.

Clean sheets have been a rarity of late at Villa Park and there is no longer a feeling of invulnerability around the stadium.

That was particularly noticeable in the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham. Villa had just 40.45% of the ball and were uncharacteristically passive as the away side cruised to victory.

Going back to basics and approaching the game with more positive intentions could see a return to the dominant home displays of previous weeks.

Tactical tweaks

Rediscovering the home form of 2023 might be easier said than done for Villa.

They were riding the crest of a wave towards the end of their record-breaking run and confidence was at an all-time high.

That is not to say that a similar streak cannot be achieved — but teams are now better equipped to cope at Villa Park.

Emery attempted to change things against Spurs, fielding a 5-3-2 formation having largely opted for a back four throughout the season.

That experiment — albeit somewhat forced on him by injuries — did not work, so a tweak back to a more attack-minded set-up might be what gets Villa back on track.

There should certainly be no doubt about Emery's ability to make the required tactical adjustments.

And it would be no surprise to see Villa put in a much more positive performance against Ajax.