Jack Grealish Is Reaping the Rewards for Trusting in Aston Villa's Project

After a summer of intense speculation regarding whether he would be staying or going, Jack Grealish opted to commit his future to Aston Villa by putting pen to paper on a new five-year deal in September.

Upon signing his new contract, the club's chief executive Christian Purslow explained that they were 'determined' to build a team around him that is capable of playing at the highest level and will bring the best out of their star man on a consistent basis.

And this is exactly what they did during the recent transfer window.

Villa were once again outstanding on Sunday as they ran out deserved 3-0 winners over Arsenal, with the victory taking them onto 15 points after seven games and into sixth place in the Premier League table.

From the goalkeeper all the way to the striker, each player was focused and determined to come away from the Emirates with a positive result. The truth is, every Villa player was excellent and deserves all the praise coming their way, but it was the trio of Grealish, Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins who were particularly impressive.

Grealish's quality has been clear for all to see for a while now, but the win over Arsenal was the latest example of how the new recruits have helped alleviate some of the pressure and in turn, have helped him thrive.

Barkley and Watkins, along with Grealish, bullied the Arsenal defence all evening long, working tirelessly off the ball to force mistakes before then cutting through their backline with ease when in possession. Dean Smith's men played with such fluidity and confidence, they never once looked unnerved or unsettled.

Oh, and the goals were of the highest quality as well. Barkley's reverse pass for the opener was sublime, while the diagonal pass from Douglas Luiz and the volley from Barkley to find Watkins for the second was truly breathtaking. But for the third goal, it was all about the mentality of the Villa team and the speed with which they broke forward.

With 75 minutes on the clock and with a 2-0 lead, many would have expected the Villans to simply try and hold onto what they had. But this wasn't the case. At all.

Instead, when Emiliano Martinez caught the ball, his immediate thought was to get his side playing on the front foot and pushing forward. His perfect throw out found Grealish, who burst forward with electric pace, and after shrugging off Hector Bellerin like he wasn't even there, he had the composure to slide the ball into Watkins to grab his second of the game.

The speed of play and the ambition of the squad has been evident all season, with this match being merely the most recent example. The Villa hierarchy deserve credit for this as they took action during the transfer window to improve the quality within the team in all departments.

And the men who are benefiting most are Grealish and his boss Dean Smith.

Far too often in 2019/20 the Villans were too predictable, with each passage of play going through their captain, making it easy to simply crowd him out and eventually dispossess him. The England international often cut a frustrated figure as well, as teams caught on to his side's way of playing and didn't afford him any room to work in.

But this is completely different now. The addition of the likes of Martinez, Matty Cash (who was also phenomenal against Arsenal), Bertrand Traore, Barkley and Watkins have helped transform the squad and the way of playing. No longer is Grealish the sole threat within this team, instead the likes of Barkley and Watkins have stepped up and delivered, while John McGinn and Trezeguet have complimented the team well.

The balance in the team now has given Grealish the freedom to go and play with a smile on his face, drifting into pockets of space where he can impact the game most. Perhaps most crucially, he doesn't have to drop into his own half so that he can simply get a touch of the ball, instead he can stay further upfield occupying the more dangerous areas.

The Villa number ten has formed an excellent understanding with both Barkley and Watkins despite it still being early in the season. Watkins has shown early on that he is not only a ruthless finisher, but he is also more than capable of holding the ball up and linking play with his teammates. Barkley, meanwhile, has brought some much-needed creativity to the team in the centre of the park, linking up well with Grealish to cause havoc - as seen in the dismantling of Arsenal.

Sure, Grealish will likely have been tempted by a move away from Villa Park during the last transfer window, but it was the club's ambition and plan which convinced him to commit his future to the side he joined aged six. After signing, there were suggestions he was throwing his career away, or wasn't ever going to reach his full potential while stuck at Aston Villa.

But the 25-year-old is now reaping all the benefits of trusting in the club's strategy and plan, and he is playing some of the best football of his career. With four goals and five assists to his name after just seven Premier League appearances, Gareth Southgate will surely only be able to overlook him for so long.

Yes, it is still early in the season, but with Grealish leading this new and hugely exciting Aston Villa team, there are countless reasons to be optimistic for their fans.

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