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Dean Smith: 'We must show more personality in relegation battle'

Dean Smith: 'We must show more personality in relegation battle'
© Reuters
Villa are a point from safety heading into Sunday's game at Anfield.

Dean Smith has called on Aston Villa to express themselves as they fight to avoid Premier League the relegation.

The strugglers go to new champions Liverpool on Sunday third bottom and a point from safety.

Smith's side are winless since the top flight restarted last month with six games left to avoid an immediate return to the Sky Bet Championship.

Villa have scored the most goals out of the bottom four, although talisman Jack Grealish has not netted since January, and Smith wants to see more character.

"We have total belief and total determination," he said.

"The mental strength and belief is there, I want them to show more personality on the ball.

"They are representing themselves, their families, the rest of their team-mates and what we're missing at the moment is the fans.

"They (the players) feel like they're in a better place than when the break started.

"We've restricted three top-eight teams to very few chances, so defensively we are in a good place, but we need to have better quality in the final third.

"The lads aren't too disheartened because they know that they've played well, we've certainly defended better, we just have to put our chances away."

Liverpool lost 4-0 at Manchester City on Thursday, their first game after being crowned champions.

They have won every top-flight game at Anfield this season and Smith does not expect any let-up from Liverpool despite finally winning their first title in 30 years.

"I'll think we will see similar to what we have seen week in, week out," he told a press conference.

"They will be a little bit sore from getting beaten 4-0, but we know that their attitude is going to be there.

"I saw it as he (Jurgen Klopp) did – they had as many chances as Manchester City and their attitude was spot on.

"We have a chance, we made Liverpool work really hard (a late 2-1 defeat at Villa Park) and we were three minutes away from getting the victory ourselves."

Matt Targett is out after picking up a hamstring injury in the 1-0 defeat against Wolves with Ezri Konsa struggling with a foot problem.

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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