Analysis: Questions mount for Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard with tougher tests ahead

Having felt the fury of supporters as he made his way off the pitch following Sunday’s home defeat to West Ham, the team who started the day bottom of the table, the Villa boss must now prepare for meetings with early-season leaders Arsenal and champions Manchester City in the space of four days.

Gerrard always cited such tests as one of the main attractions of managing in the Premier League and a key reason why he decided to accept the challenge of succeeding Dean Smith last November.

Yet he surely did not envision tackling them under the current circumstances, with scrutiny on his own performance at its most severe since he swapped Ibrox for Villa Park.

After three defeats in the opening four top-flight matches and a run of just three wins in 15 dating back to March, it is fair to say the 42-year-old is facing the biggest challenge of his relatively young managerial career. The concern is the answers seem to be getting further away.

One week after being found wanting defensively at Crystal Palace, it was a lack of spark in attack which did for Villa against West Ham. Through 90 minutes, they failed to force visiting keeper Lukasz Fabianksi into serious exertion, as for the second time in four matches this term a forward line which has been assembled at no little cost failed to find the net.

West Ham, who began the day having failed to score a Premier League goal, were similarly toothless and there were occasions during the first half when David Moyes’ team appeared to have forgotten the object of the game. Yet with 16 minutes remaining they struck lucky, Pablo Fornals shot from distance and the ball looped off the boot of Ezri Konsa, over the head of Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez and into the net.

From that moment there only looked like being one winner and the lack of belief which inflicted the hosts, as they pushed and probed to no avail in the closing stages, was arguably the most troubling aspect of the whole afternoon.

For Gerrard, the pressure is on to find solutions, yet there is a sense he has been somewhat taken aback by the poor start. His post-match message was how the players and staff must stick together, though he also admitted being unable to fault the effort of his team and this does not particularly feel a question of attitude.

There is no doubt some players are underperforming. Tight, uneventful matches such as yesterday’s are the type in which Philippe Coutinho should make the difference but once again the Brazilian was largely ineffective before being taken off just past the hour mark with cramp. Emi Buendia, his replacement, came close to delivering the magic moment with a through-ball hit just too hard for Danny Ings, yet was similarly short on ideas as Villa found the massed visiting defences impossible to penetrate.

The larger issue may be whether the set-up from which Gerrard has rarely strayed during his nine months in charge is suited to the current personnel. A system which relies on full-backs to provide attacking width will quickly encounter problem when the final ball is so inconsistent as that delivered by Lucas Digne and Matty Cash against the Hammers. In addition, Villa are increasingly lacking a threat from midfield with John McGinn repeatedly forced deep and wide and Jacob Ramsey, their joint second highest scorer last season, having so far struggled to hit top form.

At least Villa looked better defensively, though such was their opponents’ lack of adventure, this may not have been the ideal game on which to judge. Illness to Tyrone Mings meant Gerrard was forced to name his fifth different centre-back pairing of the campaign, with Konsa returning to the line-up and Calum Chambers handed his first Premier League start.

Konsa was enjoying his best game for some time, having made several key interceptions and blocks, before he failed to fully charge down Fornals’ shot and watched in horror as it sailed over his goalkeeper and under the bar. It felt particularly cruel on a player who had earlier seen a goal chalked out when the assistant correctly judged Digne’s corner to have gone out of play before being tapped into the net after Coutinho had headed against the post.

Villa looked bright at that stage, getting the ball into wide areas and asking questions of the visiting backline. But by the time Coutinho cut in from the left and shot straight at Fabianksi from distance just past the half hour mark, inspiration was already beginning to wane.

The half-time break should have offered the chance to regroup but if anything Villa became more toothless and it was the visitors who strode forward with more intent. Only excellent defending from Cash and Digne prevented Jarrod Bowen from getting a clear strike at goal after he had been sent clear by Fornals.

Gerrard introduced Leon Bailey after the latter had opened the scoring but the home side continued to launch balls into the box in hope more than expectation.

Eventually Ramsey found space but sent his shot straight at Fabianski. It would prove to be their only effort on target after falling behind and when the final whistle blew, Gerrard was left in no doubt of the growing discontent.