Choosing an Aston Villa XI to Upset Southampton on Monday

As the international break comes to a close, Aston Villa fans will have their full attention returned to their struggling club as they prepare to return to Premier League action.

At the start of the season, a home match against Southampton may have been a fixture to expect three points from. The departures of many key players from the Saints, as well as the loss of Mauricio Pochettino as manager, left uncertainty over how successful Southampton would be in 2014-15.

Southampton have resoundingly responded and Koeman's team sit second in the Premier League table and will be as stern a test for Villa as any. The high-flying Saints will be the heavy favourites entering the match, making Paul Lambert's team selection crucial if Villa want to secure their first victory in eight tries.

Here is how Aston Villa should line up to defeat Southampton on Monday.

Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan

Guzan's place is in the team is virtually assured and with good reason. The American shot-stopper can consider himself unlucky to have conceded so many goals this season as his performances have generally been very good.

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His heroic showing against West Ham displayed the 'keeper at his very best: confident, decisive and quick to react. Guzan will need to replicate this showing to give Villa the best chance of victory on Monday. 

Right-Back: Matthew Lowton

With Alan Hutton still recovering from an injury that has kept him out of his club and country's last few matches, Matthew Lowton will receive another chance to win back the adoration of the Villa faithful. Lowton was highly praised after an impressive debut season at Villa Park, but the Englishman has struggled since.

Nonetheless, Lowton remains a more reliable option than Leandro Bacuna and should receive a fourth consecutive start. Facing off against the crafty Dusan Tadic, Lowton will have to be conservative with his positioning and disciplined in his defending.  

Centre-Backs: Ciaran Clark and Jores Okore

Villa's centre-back pairing is one that Lambert has little choice in. Ron Vlaar, Nathan Baker and Philippe Senderos are all nursing injuries, leaving it up to the fourth and fifth-choice options to get it done. Neither of these men, Ciaran Clark nor Jores Okore, have found recent success at Villa Park.

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Clark was once seen as one of Villa's brightest prospects, but despite receiving ample time over the years on the pitch to prove himself, the Irishman has failed to cement himself as a consistent player. Clark has now been reduced to a squad player as a result of his rash and static defending.

Okore has also found himself unable to make an impression, but the Danish defender and highly touted prospect has inexplicably been kept off the pitch all season. An injury ended Okore's season early last year, but despite frequently playing for Denmark's U21 team in recent months, Okore has yet to play for Villa this season.

Monday's match with Southampton is a huge opportunity for both men to change the narrative of their careers with strong showings. The two have played zero minutes together and will need to adapt quickly against a potent offensive team such as Southampton.

Left-Back: Kieran Richardson

So far, Kieran Richardson has featured exclusively in the midfield for Villa, but the poor form of Aly Cissokho has left Villa in need of freshening things up at the left-back position.

Starting Richardson at left-back is not ideal, but the Englishman has experience at the position and can hardly do worse than Cissokho has over the past several games.

Richardson's performances earlier this season have been fairly understated, but he has crucially made few true mistakes and a reliable option in defence is exactly what Villa need at the moment. It is very unlikely that Richardson is a long-term option at left-back, but he deserves a chance at the spot over the slumping Cissokho. 

Centre-Midfield: Tom Cleverley, Carlos Sanchez and Ashley Westwood

It has taken extreme circumstances to keep Lambert from fielding a midfield trio as Villa's manager and these three players remain the obvious selections.

Carlos Sanchez has simultaneously wowed and infuriated the fans since coming into the starting XI. The Colombian will need to eliminate the mental lapses he has displayed to gift the opposing team chances as he is otherwise a talented player who can make a real difference for Villa.

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In contrast, both Tom Cleverley and Ashley Westwood are very consistent players, but their similarity in style and their reserved approach on the pitch do not make them a dynamic duo. Unfortunately, with Fabian Delph still sidelined, the pair will have to play together and adapt to each other's games.

One of either Cleverley or Westwood needs to take up a less conservative position and be more adventurous with their passing and moving. Doing so will give Villa a more balanced, threatening midfield as opposed to the sturdy but toothless unit they currently are. 

Attacking-Midfield: Jack Grealish

While a highly unlikely selection to occur, giving the exciting Jack Grealish a start would be a positive move with high upside. Lambert has sparingly used Grealish this season, but the manager is only hurting the team's chances and hindering the player's development by doing so. 

Grealish will only grow into the player Villa want him to become with match time. Having scored just one goal in their past eight matches, Villa desperately need to take more chances in attack and Grealish possesses the skill on the ball to take on defenders and make something happen.

Strikers: Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann  

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Rounding out the team are the only two players to have scored for Villa this season, Gabby Agbonlahor and Andi Weimann. The pair have been inconsistent over the years but with Christian Benteke suspended, Libor Kozak still injured and Darren Bent well past his prime, Villa will need the pair at their best.

Weimann in particular is a difficult player to assess. The Austrian made his name as a hard-working player and an opportunistic finisher. While his play in the final third has been better this season, Weimann has a frustrating tendency to disappear during matches and must not do so against Southampton.

Similarly, Agbonlahor does not always play to the level he has proven himself capable of reaching, but his combination of pace and strength ensure that he is always dangerous. Despite their flaws, Agbonlahor and Weimann are Villa's best choices to lead the line against Southampton.