By Aston Villa FC

Dean Smith spoke to the media via a virtual press conference on Saturday morning to preview Aston Villa’s trip to West Ham United.

Speaking from Bodymoor Heath, the club’s head coach discussed Ross Barkley’s injury and team news, Villa’s impressive away form, the club’s dramatic Premier League survival at London Stadium on the final day of last season and the progression since, results this season and the sad passing of Diego Maradona.

Here’s what he had to say…

On Ross Barkley's injury and team news…

Aston Villa vs Brighton

“Ross obviously got a hamstring injury against Brighton so he’s going to be out for 2-3 weeks.

“Nothing more than that, it’s not as bad as what we first feared.

“He should be back in 2-3 weeks, he’s done a week already, obviously.

“We signed Ross because he’s a quality player and if you have quality players come out of your team it’s going to affect you a little bit.

“Plus we’ve got nobody similar to Ross in terms of how he plays. So it will be a loss.

“But we won our first two games without Ross as well, so we certainly haven’t lost sight of that.

“Kortney Hause is back in training, this game probably comes too soon for him. Same for Fred Guilbert.

“We’re hoping Keinan Davis is on the training pitch on Sunday.”

On the reasons for Villa’s impressive away form…

Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa

“Very good play, lots of hard work, we’ve been very, very organised away from home.

“In general this season we’ve been very well organised, there’s a really good work-ethic and team spirit there.

“I think all those ingredients get the performances we desire.”

Villa’s progression since securing top-flight survival on last visit to London Stadium…

West Ham v Aston Villa 2019/20

“I don’t think I’m surprised by how much both teams have developed (Villa and West Ham).

“We both started Project Restart with the threat of relegation from the Premier League, both clubs survived. West Ham obviously survived earlier than ourselves.

“We’ve both built on it, we both worked very hard in Project Restart, we’ve both started the season well.

“It makes for a really intriguing game between two teams whom probably people have raised eyebrows seeing us in the positions we’re in.”

On Villa’s results this season…

Aston Villa vs Brighton

“I feel we’ve been pretty consistent all season.

“You look at results, and with the exception of the Leeds game, I thought Leeds were better than us on the day, we played a typical Leeds game and went toe-to-toe with them and they were better than us at that.

“I found the Southampton game a bit of a freak result with three set-pieces and a 25-yarder into the top corner, which very rarely happens.

“And then we’ve had the Brighton game, which is the one which has probably disappointed me the most without the ball.

“I thought we were dull and I said to the players I was disappointed. But there are mitigating factors, we couldn’t work with the team until the day before because people had been away on international duty but it’s the same for other teams.

“But, saying that, on the ball I was quite pleased with us. Ross went off early, we put Bertrand (Traore) on, we created some great opportunities that, on another day, if we’d had taken we’d have won the game comfortably.”

The passing of Diego Maradona…

Diego Maradona

“I never met him or came across him.

“Obviously growing up as a big football fan in the 80s, he was iconic to world football.

“Obviously disliked him as an England fan in the 80s...but you were in awe of him as a footballer.

“And I think even the hardened England supporter grew to love him as a footballer.

“What he could do with a football, at times, was mesmeric.

“And you see just what’s happening in Argentina, I think they’ve had three days of mourning, what a symbol he was for their country.

“He will be sadly missed and, certainly, our thoughts are with all his family and friends.”