Premier League pundit explains the one reason Aston Villa will improve on ‘worrying start’

Aston Villa will get out of their early-season Premier League scoring slump, according to a Sky Sports pundit and former England striker.

Villa scored their first goal of the season on Tuesday with a huge slice of good fortune allowing Harvey Elliott to claim his first for the club in the Carabao Cup third round exit against Brentford.

But they’re yet to get off the mark in the league and have now played four games without a goal, losing two and drawing two.

Villa are struggling to make chances and the quality of chances they have made hasn’t given striker Ollie Watkins much to work with, and while the club’s record Premier League goalscorer hasn’t been at his best on an individual basis, his team aren’t supplying the service he needs either.

As Villa prepare to try and break their duck against Sunderland on Sunday, former Arsenal and Three Lions centre-forward Alan Smith believes they will find their scoring touch sooner rather than later.

“I don’t know why Watkins has been so poor,” Smith told BestBettingSites.co.uk this week. “As I’ve said before, the team as a whole is not functioning. They’re not creating. So, that’s going to affect him.

“But he’ll keep going. You know, once he gets a goal, he’ll be off and running. He’s a very good player. So his form hasn’t helped. Morgan Rogers also did brilliantly for England, but not so well for Villa so far. So those are the two talismans that need to step up to get the team back on track.”

‘Credit in the bank’

Smith also shared his view that Emery is safe in the Villa job and backed him to unlock better form.

“I don’t think we’re talking about him being under pressure at the moment,” said the ex-Arsenal hitman.

“He’s got lots of credit in the bank. I did the game at Brentford last night when you saw their goalscoring problems. They weren’t creating much. Watkins and Rogers came on. I think they’ve got some quality there.

“I know these boys haven’t performed yet. It’s not going to be too long until they start scoring goals. Harvey Elliott got one, didn’t he, with a goalkeeping mistake last night.

“It’s been a worrying start, but they’ve got enough quality to get out of this slump.”

Smith played for Leicester and Arsenal before the inaugural Premier League season and spent the new division’s first three seasons at Highbury before retiring in 1995. He scored twice for England in 13 caps and was included in former Villa manager Graham Taylor’s squad for the European Championship in 1992.

The ex-Alvechurch striker is a prominent television pundit and co-commentator.

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