Villa boss: World is watching

Aston Villa coach Dean Smith knows the whole world will be watching his team when they host Sheffield United (at 7pm tonight) in the first Premier League since the coronavirus pandemic halted play in March.

Victory for Smith’s team will lift the gloom at Villa Park a bit and will also see his team climb out of the

relegation zone and into 16th place.

Smith, who lost his father to the virus, says: “The eyes of the world will be on us. We’re looking forward to it.

“We’ve worked very hard. The players during the lockdown were very compliant with all the work we sent them. Since the lockdown, non-

contact training, contact training... the players are itching to get back.”

He adds: “That adrenaline rush that you get with them [the players] being a part of the [first] game will be

disappointing to not have.

“The players have to come up with their own motivating tools now.”

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