Aston Villa are four points outside the play-off places with ten games to go.

Dean Smith’s side have turned their form around after a win over Birmingham City this past weekend to move into ninth in the table.

Jack Grealish saw the plaudits flood his way after his 67th-minute winner last Sunday secured all three points for Smith’s men.

It is true that since the 23-year-old has returned to the team, Villa have perked up having won their last two and are unbeaten in three.

But their improvement has been founded on much more than just the mercurial attacker’s return.

Villa’s slight resurgence has been down largely due to one on-loan star.

Tyrone Mings has been nothing short of sensational for Villa since his move from Bournemouth to the end of the season, and his star has not shone brighter than it did this past weekend.

The 25-year-old put on a defensive clinic in the 1-0 win over bitter rivals Birmingham – a performance that followed suit to the rest of his displays since a move to Villa Park.

Villa have lost just once since Mings’ move materialised, and Sunday was a classic example of the player they have on their hands.

Mings will be on cloud nine after being able to be a presence throughout the game and offer rigidity to a Villa defence that has been sorely lacking for large spells this season.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and the Bournemouth loanee will know that he has set a standard now that he needs to emulate that in each and every game from now until the end of the season.

Anything less than how he got on at St. Andrew’s and that will leave Villa susceptible to conceding goals.

Mings is a defensive general, and needs to remember the critical role he plays in the absence of captain James Chester – he is the man at the back for now, and that showed this past weekend.

He relished the challenge and the opportunity to be given more responsibility – and performed phenomenally well in that role.

The 25-year-old will know it is imperative he and his team perform to the standard they did last Sunday if they want their play-off hopes to continue further into the campaign.