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Who should Dean Smith select up front for Aston Villa against Southampton?
Aston Villa were on something of a hiding to nothing when facing Liverpool in the EFL Cup this week.
Villa were placed in a strange position, with a major opportunity to make it into a semi-final but against such a reserve squad that they were expected to win, with only embarrassment in wait if they didn’t.
Dean Smith made his own changes and the night went as well as could be expected, with a 5-0 victory, having raced into a 4-0 lead by half time.
Both Villa’s main hitmen – Jonathan Kodjia and Wesley – both found the back of the net, with the latter starting and scoring twice. So who should Smith select for the weekend crunch clash against fellow strugglers Southampton?
TBR’s View – Kodjia deserves a first Premier League start
Kodjia is yet to make a Premier League start, but that should change this weekend. He did everything his manager will have wanted from him against Liverpool and his confidence should be sky high.
Of course Wesley found the net too, but the game was dead by then, and he has been on a poor run of form. It may take more than one late goal to lift the burden that puts on a big-money striker.
Villa need something different and Kodjia is capable of providing speed and invention that has often proved beyond Wesley this term. For a relegation six-pointer, the £35,000-a-week () man should get the nod