Football EPL EPL Aston Villa preview: Villans ready to consolidate Premier League status Aston Villa splashed more than £130million on over a dozen new recruits, but whether that helps consolidate its Premier League status remains to be seen. Suhith Kumar 09 August, 2019 21:12 IST Expectations weigh heavy on the shoulders of club captain Jack Grealish. - GETTY IMAGES Suhith Kumar 09 August, 2019 21:12 IST Of the newly promoted clubs this season, Aston Villa’s case is unique. For 24 seasons since the inception of the Premier League, the club’s top-flight status had remained intact. The Midlands club faced the threat of relegation for three straight seasons from 2012-13 to 2014-15, but Paul Lambert had managed to secure the top flight status in 2012-13 and 2013-14. Tim Sherwood was the saviour in 2014-15 after taking over from Lambert with the club marooned in the bottom three. However, the writing was on the wall for Villa, which got relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2015-16 season, when it took the wooden spoon.Premier League preview: Can Liverpool end Manchester City's hegemony to win maiden title?The appointment of Dean Smith as manager in October last year was instrumental in Villa’s return to the Premier League by winning the Championship playoff final against Derby County. As a newly promoted club, Aston Villa finds itself in uncharted territory again. Manager Smith has thanked the owners for backing him in the transfer market, with Villa splashing more than £130million on over a dozen new recruits, but whether that helps consolidate the top-flight status remains to be seen.Transfer activityWesley Moraes (from Club Brugge) Tyrone Mings (from Bournemouth), Douglas Luiz (from Manchester City), Matt Targett (from Southampton), and Tom Heaton (from Burnley) are the club’s marquee signings.Wesley has been signed for a club-record fee of £22million, while Mings, Targett and Heaton bring Premier League experience to the setup.Players to watch out forJack GrealishA player of Irish heritage who was close to joining Tottenham at the start of last season, Grealish is Aston Villa’s captain. The 23-year-old operates predominantly as a midfielder who contributed an equal number of goals and assists in the Championship last season (6 goals and 6 assists). Grealish has evolved into a more complete, matured player from the last time the club was in the Premier League, and his form and fitness will be vital to Aston Villa remaining in the Premier League beyond the season.Tyrone MingsInjuries and suspensions limited the 26-year-old’s time on the pitch while he was at Bournemouth, but he played 18 times for Villa after the loan move in January and emerged as a fan-favourite at Villa Park. The Englishman’s transition into the new role as a defensive mainstay, after his exploits last season, will be fascinating to watch. Season expectationsThe squad has undergone an overhaul and there’s Premier League experience within the squad and among the coaching staff, with John Terry serving as Smith’s assistant. Villa appears to have the qualities to remain a Premier League club come the end of the season, but its reaction to setbacks during the season will determine its final league position.Aston Villa's transfer activityIN: Jota (£4m, Birmingham), Anwar El Ghazi (£8m, Lille), Wesley Moraes (£22m, Club Brugge), Kortney Hause (£3m, Wolves), Matt Targett (£14m, Southampton), Tyrone Mings (£20m, Bournemouth), Ezri Konsa (£12m, Brentford), Bjorn Engels (£7m, Stade Reims), Trezeguet (£8.75m, Kasimpasa), Douglas Luiz (£12.5m, Manchester City), Tom Heaton (£8m, Burnley). OUT: Harvey Knibbs (free, Cambridge), Gary Gardner (undisclosed, Birmingham), Tommy Elphick (free, Huddersfield), Albert Adomah (free, Nottingham Forest), Corey Blackett-Taylor (free, Tranmere), Ritchie De Laet (free, Royal Antwerp), Matija Sarkic (loan, Livingston), Jake Doyle-Hayes (loan, Cheltenham), Andre Green (loan, Preston), Rushian Hepburn-Murphy (loan, Tranmere), Jordan Lyden (free, Swindon), Birkir Bjnarson, Ross McCormack, Alan Hutton, Mile Jedinak, Glenn Whelan, Micah Richards, Mark Bunn (all released) Premier League fixturesAugust10 - Tottenham v Aston Villa 17 - Aston Villa v Bournemouth23 - Aston Villa v Everton 31 - Crystal Palace v Aston VillaSeptember16 - Aston Villa v West Ham 21 - Arsenal v Aston Villa28 - Aston Villa v BurnleyOctober5 -Norwich City v Aston Villa19 - Aston Villa v Brighton26 - Manchester City v Aston Villa November2 - Aston Villa v Liverpool9 - Wolves v Aston Villa23 - Aston Villa v Newcastle30 - Manchester United v Aston VillaDecember4 - Chelsea v Aston Villa7 - Aston Villa v Leicester City14 - Sheffield United v Aston Villa21 - Aston Villa v Southampton26 - Aston Villa v Norwich City28 - Watford v Aston VillaJanuary1 - Burnley v Aston Villa11 - Aston Villa v Manchester City18 - Brighton v Aston Villa21 - Aston Villa v WatfordFebruary1 - Bournemouth v Aston Villa8 - Aston Villa v Tottenham22 - Southampton v Aston Villa29 - Aston Villa v Sheffield UnitedMarch7 - Leicester City v Aston Villa14 - Aston Villa v Chelsea21 - Newcastle United v Aston VillaApril4 - Aston Villa v Wolves11 - Liverpool v Aston Villa18 - Aston Villa v Manchester United25 - Aston Villa v Crystal PalaceMay2 - Everton v Aston Villa9 - Aston Villa v Arsenal17 - West Ham v Aston Villa Read more stories on EPL. 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