Louie Littlewood· Updated 
This is part two of my Aston Villa squad review as I evaluate the midfield and forward line of Villa’s squad this season. Check out part 1 here.
With the busy Christmas period approaching, I analyse who may have a more important role to play than others, and which players Villa will need to perform in this crucial spell of games for The Villans.
We are building a new home for independent sports coverage. dave.sport is currently in beta, with new features and publisher tools rolling out as we test what fans need most.
Explore the betaAdd Read Aston Villa as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting.
most read in the past 24 hours
Arsenal ready £80m Morgan Rogers bid as Aston Villa face transfer test
14 Jun, 21:30Rashford door opens again as Villa face Bayern transfer twist
15 Jun, 10:09The financial truth behind Villa’s summer. Why Emery cannot spend freely despite historic success
13 Jun, 12:35Sancho decides to stay in the Premier League after Villa loan, as Besiktas interest emerges
13 Jun, 11:40Aston Villa transfer window opens with Emery facing four huge calls
14 Jun, 23:10
