Analysis: Aston Villa's home form defining an early season of squandered opportunities

It is not hard to make the argument that, with a little more care and conviction, Villa would have won all four Premier League matches on their own turf.

Instead, they have tasted victory only once, with Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Burnley arguably the most frustrating result of the lot.

For the second time in the space of a week Villa were guilty of twice throwing away the lead, meaning they ended up getting considerably less from the afternoon than their overall performance probably deserved.

Granted, gaining one point here was a little less gut-wrenching than leaving Arsenal empty handed, as Smith’s team had just six days previously.

But just as at Emirates, Villa were left wondering what might have been due to their continued failure to force home an advantage.

The season is only seven games old, yet already they have lost eight points from winning positions. Add those on to the total and Villa would have spent Saturday night sitting in the top three, rather than the bottom three.

Without wishing to state the obvious, they really cannot continue to let points slip away at such a rate, or this season will quickly become the extended battle against relegation supporters fear.

In the short-term, Villa head to Norwich on Saturday for the final match before the next international break with the pressure having been turned up just another notch.

There is no reason they cannot go to Carrow Road, where they will meet a home team just one place and one point above them in the table, and claim a morale-boosting win. For all the frustration of recent results, there has still been plenty to admire in Villa’s general play.

Yet at the moment they are losing too many of the decisive moments in both boxes and it feels fair to direct questions at a defence which has now conceded five goals in the past two matches.

Against Burnley they were rarely under the cosh but you couldn’t claim the Clarets had to work too hard for either of the goals they scored.

The first came after neither Frederic Guilbert or Anwar El Ghazi were able to prevent Erik Pieters crossing from the left, while the second found the backline again flat-footed, as Chris Wood was able to get a run on Bjorn Engels and head home Matthew Lowton’s cross.

Engels enjoyed an excellent start to life in the Premier League but things have looked just a little tougher for the Belgian against both Arsenal and Burnley.

Tyrone Mings, alongside him, also seemed to lack his usual assuredness and though Villa’s defensive leader was not directly responsible for either goal, neither did he look entirely comfortable during the final half-an-hour.

The loss of Matt Targett to injury just past the hour mark was perhaps significant. The 24-year-old had enjoyed a fine Premier League debut until being forced off with a hamstring problem. His replacement, Neil Taylor, was then caught napping when Jay Rodriguez pounced to meet Pieters’ cross and bring the visitors level for the first time.

Former Albion striker Rodriguez, who cupped his hands to his ears in celebration, had been introduced off the bench for the second half by Sean Dyche, joining a Burnley forward line which also included Wood and Ashley Barnes.

It was impossible not to wonder what the result might have been had Villa possessed just one of the trio in their ranks because for all the defensive concerns highlighted over the past two matches, it is still in attack where the biggest issues remain.

Yes, they have netted twice in both games but the fact is Villa could and should have scored several more, particularly on Saturday when their display for the opening 45 minutes ranked as the best of the campaign to date.

Much focus, again, falls on record signing Wesley. The Brazilian had his moments against Burnley, yet was too often lacking sharpness and failed to provide the presence Villa required in the final third.

On whether Wesley can be a consistent performer in the Premier League, the jury remains out. The lack of competition for his place beyond Jonathan Kodjia and youngster Keinan Davis remains concerning.

Positives on Saturday came in the shape of another excellent all-round performance from John McGinn, who netted his third goal of the season and was once more a driving force from midfield.

The Scot already looks well at home in the Premier League and his presence should give fans hope for the months ahead, particularly if Jack Grealish is also able to find his radar some time soon.

Villa’s skipper was utilised in a more advanced, wider role against Burnley which allowed Smith to introduce Conor Hourihane into midfield.

Grealish saw plenty of the ball, particularly in the first-half, yet at the moment things aren’t quite clicking and there is a sense he may be trying just a little too hard.

Behind McGinn, Villa’s best performer was Marvelous Nakamba, who completed 90 minutes in the top flight for the first time and showed an impressive range of passing which helped his team dominate the opening stages.

Smith, meanwhile, may find comfort in the impressive first-half performance came off the back of comfortably the lowest point of the season so far at Arsenal.

In that respect, the belief which helped Villa charge to promotion last season does not seem to have yet been eroded, at least not at the start of matches. Then again, this result is another setback with which they must now deal.

This being Villa, there was also time for VAR to get involved. Replays showed the decision to disallow McGinn’s “opener” were correct due to Conor Hourihane being offside in the build-up, yet the time it took for the video official to make the call, with both teams lined up for kick-off before the goal was chalked off, demonstrated perfectly why purists despise the system.

This was not a day where technology was the story, however. This time, Villa had only themselves to blame.