Aston Villa boss Dean Smith insists his side won't go to defend tonight against West Brom, even though they hold a one-goal lead from the first leg.

Late goals from Conor Hourihane and Tammy Abraham turned things around for Villa to give them a vital advantage after what had been a frustrating afternoon for the hosts.

Albion's deep defensive block appeared to work for large parts but Smith told the official site he won't be telling his players to adopt a similar strategy tonight.

"The players know my mindset, I think if you go and sit back you invite a lot of pressure on your goal, and I’m not comfortable with that. The quality of the players we’ve got, we can score a lot of goals, so you’ve got to utilise that.

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"I won't be sat behind the ball as much as Albion were on Saturday. My aim is to go and win the game. We'll be looking to score more goals."

Villa will also be boosted by the fact that the influential Dwight Gayle is missing for the Baggies after he was sent off late on in the first leg.

The Verdict

This is exactly right from Smith and Villa shouldn't be changing the way they play for anyone in this league.

They have been the form team in the Championship for the past few months, which has been based on scoring goals and giving Jack Grealish freedom to play, so it clearly works.

As the manager says, sitting back can be a risky strategy and it could allow Albion to build momentum. The best way to quieten the crowd is for Villa to start fast and try to win.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.