Aston Villa boss Dean Smith: Jack Grealish getting less protection behind closed doors

With eight games of the Premier League season remaining, Grealish has already set a new record for the most times a player has been fouled in a single campaign.

Smith believes the absence of supporters since the league’s restart has now made referees less likely to punish the perpetrators.

The Villa boss was left seething by two fouls committed on Grealish by Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante in the closing stages of Sunday’s 2-1 defeat, only the second of which received a caution.

Smith said: “One of the biggest advantages you lose without supporters is the influence they can have over officials. In a home game the reaction from our supporters when Jack does get fouled, certainly the first one from Kante which didn’t receive a yellow card.

“There were a couple against Sheffield United where if the supporters are there and you hear the noise from the Holte End then I’m sure the referee is giving cautions.”

Grealish has already been fouled 140 times this season, 42 times more than the next most fouled player, Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.

His tally has now surpassed the league’s previous high mark of 127 fouls committed against Albion forward Jason Roberts during the 2002-03 season.

Smith has regularly pleaded for his star man to be better protected by officials but believes there is ‘no point’ taking his case to referee’s chief Mike Riley.

He continued: “The most surprising stat will be there’s only about six bookings for those 140 fouls.

“There is nothing Jack can do other than wanting to keep getting on the ball and run at them in the final third. The officials probably need to protect him more for sure.

“Of course it is frustrating, he’s got bruises all over his shins and his side. But he loves playing the game, playing football, and he loves Aston Villa, so he’ll keep going.”