Aston Villa’s successful pre-season carried on thanks to a 5-1 win over Walsall on Wednesday night.
Dean Smith would have known that his team would have too much for the League Two side, but he will still be quietly pleased with some of the build-up play that he saw, especially on the right flank between Jota and Frederic Guilbert. He will also be pleased with the skill, hold-up play, and finishing that Wesley Moraes displayed.
Next up for Smith’s men is a trip to The Valley on Saturday afternoon to take on Charlton Athletic. Lee Bowyer’s men won the League One play-off final against Sunderland to take the final position in the Championship that was left when Villa earned promotion to the Premier League.
We think Smith could make around seven changes to the team that started against Walsall on Wednesday. This is our predicted Aston Villa XI.
