Dean Smith praised his team's energy and desire to win the ball back on Saturday after Aston Villa claimed their fourth win on the bounce with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Villa Park.

Clearly, the manager was particularly impressed with the determination Villa have shown to pressure opposition teams in a defensive manner and by doing so, controlling the game by taking a firm grip of possession. Villa moved into sixth place in the Championship table following the win over Boro and seem to be playing some of their best football of the season.

Having struggled to get positive results for the majority of the campaign, the Birmingham giants are now in a very good position to earn a spot in the playoffs again and perhaps secure promotion to the Premier League next season.

Villa have been relentless lately, in both attack and defence, and appear to be eager to get in their opponents' faces by playing an effective pressing game in defence, while quickly turning into attack once they have the ball. Their recent performances have certainly regained the belief and trust of their fans and it was clear on Saturday that the Villa fans acknowledge the sense of urgency Smith's team is playing with at the moment.

The four victories they have managed have been of the highest quality and they have been hungry to take the game to the opposition, no matter who they might be facing.

In-front of goal, mainly due to the return of midfielder Jack Grealish, Villa have looked to tear defenders apart and be absolutely ruthless.

This new energy and sheer persistence have been backed up with good discipline on the field, while remaining calm and composed to see games out.

That is also the reason why Villa have managed to keep three clean-sheets in these four successive wins, which will certainly give them confidence for the remainder of the season. At long last, the Dean Smith project is working.

Aston Villa fans, do you fancy yourselves to win promotion back to the Premier League? Join the discussion by commenting below...