How Aston Villa profits from the Premier League’s Project Restart

The Premier League’s rule to allow for an extended bench gives fringe players another chance at Aston Villa.

News that the substitutes’ bench numbers are being extended to 9 players and the number of permitted subs that a manager can make in a game is increasing to 5, is good news for a few at Villa Park.

Dean Smith actually stated his wish for this new rule to not be implemented, arguing that it would favour teams with bigger squads, but there are actually several of his own players that this could actually benefit. At the end of it all, probably profiting him come to the end of the season.

Good chance for underused players at Villa

It will be a good chance for underused players like Henri Lansbury and Jota to show that they have used this long break from football to get themselves into Smith’s thinking for the final stretch of the season. Lansbury has been a Villa player for 3 years now and hasn’t ever really hit any sort of purple patch of form, mainly due to his extended time out injured.

He has appeared a few times in the Carabao Cup this season, looked lively and creative in the middle of the park during these appearances, but this form hasn’t been replicated in the Premier League. Albeit he hasn’t had much chance to showcase his quality.

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The midfield area for the Villians is well stocked with options; Conor Hourihane, John McGinn, Jack Grealish, Douglas Luiz, Marvelous Nakamba, and Danny Drinkwater were ahead of Lansbury in the pecking order before the enforced break. Perhaps this break has allowed Smith to consider a change in personnel in some positions, Lansbury could benefit if this is the case.

Applying the same logic to Jota

The same logic could apply to Jota, he has less competition than Lansbury to contend with as the wide options for Villa currently consist of only Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet. Jota should at least be more hopeful of getting some action from the bench for the final 10 games, as there were several occasions where he didn’t even make the matchday squad this season.

The problem of the inconsistency of El Ghazi and Trezeguet would have been playing on Dean Smith’s mind as he tries to conjure up a winning formula, starting on Wednesday against Sheffield Utd. This could spell good news for Jota as there’s no doubting that he can pick a pass, as shown for Wesley’s goal against Everton in August.

Video: Jota assists and Wesley score for Aston Villa

It will be interesting to see which players if any, can break out from the pack and make a name for themselves from now until the end of the season. Whether its Lansbury or Jota, or a young player like an Indiana Vassilev or a Louie Barry who makes themselves a hero.

Let’s hope the Villa players have enough to get themselves out of the trouble they are in currently and stay in the Premier League beyond the 2019-2020 campaign.