New Aston Villa signing Mbwana Samatta netted his first Premier League goal on his debut against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Tanzanian international beat Aaron Ramsdale to the ball and looped his header into the empty net in the second half of the 2-1 defeat.
After the game, it was revealed by Sky Sports Statto that Samatta’s header was Villa’s first headed goal of the season after 54 attempts.
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This is a remarkable statistic mainly because of the number of attempts Villa have had with their head.
You’d think with the likes of 6ft 5in centre-back Tyrone Mings, Dean Smith’s side would have more success in the air.
However, a key reason for not scoring headers could be because of the absence of striker Wesley, who, before suffering a season-ending injury, won 69 aerial duels, which is still the most in the Villa squad.
We believe that this statistic should encourage Smith to take a closer look at set-pieces and accuracy in attacking headers because it could end up playing a big part in their quest for survival this season.
That’s where Samatta comes in.
The forward won five aerial duels against the Cherries alone on his league debut and if he can continue to keep it up, then we feel Smith’s problem will quickly vanish. He has a good track record as he also scored a header in the UEFA Champions League against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season.
