Aston Villa's Inability to Create Chances Remains Their Biggest Problem

All good things must come to an end. After starting the season unbeaten through four matches, Aston Villa came crashing back to reality following their 3-0 loss to Arsenal. 

Villa did not initially look out of their depth and battled well with their opponents early, but a nightmarish three-minute spell saw them concede a trio of goals that, coupled with a virus that afflicted many of the team's players, ended any hope for a Villa victory.

The team's performance during the second half was completely lifeless. Illness and fatigue played their part, but Villa's morale was shattered and they did not possess the quality on the ball to threaten Arsenal.

While 10 points from 15 remains a great haul for Paul Lambert's team, the omnipresent issue of Villa's stagnant offence remains the team's biggest issue. If Villa's inability to create chances does not change soon then the team will not truly solve the problems that have plagued them over the course of Lambert's time as manager.

Previously, Lambert has been accused of lacking ambition on offence and relying too heavily on his players' physical qualities to outwork opponents on the break. For better or for worse, counterattacking football led to Villa's most important victories last year and was undoubtedly the team's offensive strength.

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Without a true creator in the side to break down a prepared opponent, the manager has repeatedly capitalized on the energy and pace of Christian Benteke, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Andreas Weimann and Fabian Delph to craft chances against unorganized defences.

As long as these players remain part of the Villa setup then counterattacking will be a valuable asset for Lambert's side. However, the statistics from Villa's opening five matches of the Premier League season show why a change of approach is necessary for long-term improvement to occur.

So far, Villa have taken the fewest shots of any Premier League team. Even more alarming is their lack of accuracy. Villa's average of a paltry 1.6 shots on target per game is not just the lowest figure in the Premier League, but it is also half as many shots on target as the next worst team, Premier League newcomers Burnley.

By taking such few shots, and forcing the keeper into action on even fewer occasions, Villa are severely limited in their ability to threaten opponents and are placing an enormous burden on the defence to earn them points. Instinctive finishing has helped Villa to their early victories, but this is not sustainable over the course of an entire season.

Having once again failed to find a playmaker for the team, Lambert lacks a creative spark he can simply plug into the middle to control a game. Delph, Ashley Westwood and Tom Cleverley are all talented midfielders, but none seems suited or prepared to seize the No. 10 role that desperately needs filling. 

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Charles N'Zogbia has looked as lethargic as ever and cannot be consistently relied upon to step up to the task at hand. In a like manner, the fitness and age of Joe Cole have prevented Villa's new signing from making an early impact. Frankly, Villa do not have a reliable performer who can pull the strings in midfield to probe an opponent's weaknesses and exploit them.

Furthermore, a quick look at the possession numbers makes it even easier to understand why Villa have registered so few chances. Villa currently average just 35.7 per cent of possession each match and complete only 72.5 per cent of their passes, the second lowest respective totals in the league.

It doesn't take an experienced tactician to understand that a team will have fewer opportunities to create chances if they enjoy less time with the ball at their feet. As long as Villa's time of possession remains so low then the team has little hope of becoming more threatening in the final third.

There are some reasons for optimism surrounding Villa's offensive stagnancy. The absences of Benteke and Libor Kozak have robbed Villa of their most prolific goalscorers. According to the club's official website, Benteke is set to return within the coming weeks and his hold up play, finishing and underrated passing will be a tremendous asset. 

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Additionally, the timing of Villa's goals scored this season must be taken into account when regarding these statistics. For example, against both Hull City and Liverpool the Villans jumped out to an early lead and were content to play defensively, committing few men to the attack for the vast majority of either match. This especially accounts for a part of Villa's poor possession figures over five games.

Finally, it must be noted that Villa's play from set pieces has drastically improved. They have only scored one goal directly from a corner, but Villa have made threatening set-piece runs, played numerous dangerous balls into the box and have even hit the bar from a direct free-kick. Dead-ball situations may very well generate more legitimate scoring opportunities this season.

However, even with these factors taken into account, there is an undeniable lack of improvement in the team's overall attacking approach that is in urgent need of improvement. Villa's upcoming match against the ruthlessly efficient Chelsea is hardly the best platform for such an overhaul but change must come soon. 

Rather than risk squandering their excellent start to the season, or place too much pressure on Villa's revamped defence, Lambert must make drastic adjustments to his team's offensive philosophy to prove that he has earned more time at the club and can lead Aston Villa back to success. 

All Statistics via WhoScored.com