Kortney Hause has ability to become Aston Villa's defensive leader

Aston Villa are one of the real surprise packages of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

Having scraped to survival on the final day of last season, the Villans have assured they will not be involved in any relegation battles this time round, collecting 25 points from 13 matches, and occupying sixth place by the end of Boxing Day.

Dean Smith's side boast the second best defensive record in the English top flight, conceding 13 goals in as many games - only bettered by the surprisingly miserly Manchester City, who have shipped one fewer.

Villa have really cemented their place in the Premier League's top half in the month of December, scooping 10 points from a possible 12, and keeping four successive clean sheets in the process.

And this sharp upturn in form has coincided with the surprise return of centre-back Kortney Hause to the starting lineup.

The defender made his first appearance of the season as Villa battled to a 0-0 draw against an intimidatingly physical Burnley side. He then played the full 180 minutes in the next two clashes, where Villa earned a pair of 3-0 victories against West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace.

But their latest achievement at home to Palace was the pick of the bunch for the defender and the collective.

Leading 1-0 going into half-time, the game threatened to turn on its head when the usually reliable Tyrone Mings rounded off a shoddy few seconds of play by hauling down Wilfried Zaha and earning his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Smith now faced the daunting prospect of sending his players out to defend for their lives against the likes of Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Christian Benteke, without their supposed leader at the heart of the backline.

Fortunately for the Villa coach, one defender stepped up and assumed the responsibility - just as he has done all month.

Hause had quietly gone about his business against Burnley and West Brom, with Villa being much the stronger side in both fixtures. But the centre-back had to face the music on Saturday, left to guard his goalkeeper without the influential Mings.

The biggest compliment we could pay the defender, is that Mings' absence wasn't even remotely noticed over the next 45 minutes. Hause filled his teammate's shoes with ease, directing his backline with authority and comfortably nullifying the threat of Zaha and Eze.

His intelligent reading of the game and imposing physical presence stopped the Eagles in their tracks, and he complemented centre-back partner Ezri Konsa superbly, as the duo provided the perfect balance of pace, strength and tactical awareness.

Hause cleared every dangerous ball that came his way - making 11 clearances over the course of the 90 minutes, while winning nine aerial duels against the frustrated Palace attack. Defensively, he was imperious.

And he's even added goals to his game, by the looks of it. Hause clinched the crucial second goal of the match, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the six-yard box to nod just over the line. It was the perfect reward for a man who has had to wait patiently to prove his value to the team.

Three games later, and he is now undroppable.

There is no escaping it - Villa are a better team with Hause in the starting lineup. Smith has been reluctant to test that theory this season, and it's easy to see why. Last year's miraculous escape only began once the new hero had been removed from the side, as the Villans responded to three consecutive defeats with a four-match unbeaten run in his absence, eventually sending Bournemouth down.

But this team has grown since last year's scattergun transfer window. The summer 2019 flops are beginning to come good, and the presence of a trustworthy and consistent goalkeeper in Emiliano Martinez has shored up the backline no end.

There has been a collective growth throughout the team, as well as individual improvements across the board. And no one epitomises the upturn in fortunes and ability at Villa Park more than Hause.

It might feel a touch premature, but should the centre-back continue this rich vein of form in a thriving team at the top end of the Premier League, it could be his name listed among England's Euro 2020 squad, and not Mings'.