Forget Ings: Gerrard must unleash AVFC "machine" dubbed “one of the best” against LUFC - opinion

Aston Villa will return to action in the Premier League on Wednesday at Villa Park against Leeds United, and Steven Gerrard will be hoping to pick up where he left off before the winter break by continuing to climb the table in his first few months in charge at the club.

The Villans have been picking up 0.54 more points so far under their Liverpudlian manager since he joined in November, taking 16 points from their last ten games in the Premier League, and there is now opportunity for the side to comfortably secure a top half finish, or even exceed expectations by securing European football next season if they continue at the rate they are going.

With that being said, Gerrard will be wanting to gain momentum as soon as possible as the side return after a few weeks off, especially with the club out of all cup competitions, they really have an opportunity to focus on getting ahead in their Premier League campaign as the new manager has now settled in and completed four new signings in his first transfer window last month.

One player who must be unleashed on Leeds United is Ollie Watkins, who has been a consistent and key player for Aston Villa since he signed in 2020 from Brentford, bagging 21 goals and six assists in just 59 appearances with a goal involvement every 2.1 games so far, as former manager Dean Smith dubbed the star “one of the best” in his position.

After signing Philippe Coutinho, the Villa manager could really boost the striker’s prolific finishing further by surrounding him with experienced creative players who can provide him with more chances, and the Brazilian winger could form a great partnership with Watkins, something the manager should be keen to establish as soon as possible with the Leeds United