Can Aston Villa finally get a win? Aston Villa have been struggling recently, with their last win back in January against West Brom, Villa’s last goal was against Everton that same month. Since then Villa have lost to West Ham and Newcastle and tied against Cardiff. But this weekend it could be a different story. Ever since Paul Lambert has arrived at Villa, Norwich have struggled to beat Villa. Last fixture Villa defeated Norwich 1-0 courtesy to a debutante goal from Libor Kozak.
Both managers are under pressure, Chris Hughton and Paul Lambert have been unable to fulfill expectations with both clubs expected to be higher up the table. Last weekend, Norwich’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham relieved some pressure of Chris Hughton. Additionally, this fixture often highlights the tension between former boss Paul Lambert and Norwich city following the manager’s move to Aston Villa.
Grant Holt may play against his former club this weekend. Holt made 154 appearances for Norwich in over 4 years at the club scoring 68 goals. Both Holt and Lambert are in Norwich’s hall of fame. Jed Steer may also face against his former side, Steer joined Villa from Norwich this summer, he has made three Cup appearances for Villa.
Team News:
Ashley Westwood will be fit for the game against Norwich following a dead-leg in the game against Newcastle last weekend. Ryan Bertrand has also recovered from a virus and is available for selection.
Norwich will certainly be without Leroy Fer who is suffering from a hamstring injury. Johnny Howson and Ryan Bennett have recovered from injury and may feature this weekend. Jonas Gutierrez, Michael Turner and winger Elliott Bennett are still long term casualties, apart from Gutierrez who is still short of match fitness.
Match Facts:
Aston Villa have lost just one of the last 11 Barclays Premier League games against Norwich City (W5 D5 L1).
The Canaries have won just four of their 32 Barclays Premier League away games under Chris Hughton (W4 D9 L19).
No player has had more headed shots (20) or scored more headed goals (4) in the Premier League this season than Christian Benteke.
Leroy Fer has committed more fouls than any other player in the top division this season (49).
Only Crystal Palace (7.89%) have a lower shot conversion rate than Norwich City in the Premier League this season (7.91%).
Paul Lambert joined Aston Villa from a spell as manager of Norwich City. His win ratio with the Canaries was 32% compared to 26% with the Villans in the Premier League
Aston Villa have conceded a joint-league high seven goals in the opening 15 minutes of games, but a joint-league low four times in the final 15 minutes.
Predicted Lineups:
Guzan
Bacuna-Vlaar-Clark-Bertrand
Albrighton-Westwood-Delph-Agbonlahor
Holt-Benteke
Van Wolfswinkel
Hoolahan
Redmond-Johnson-Howson-Snodgrass
Olsson-Bassong-Yobo-Martin
Ruddy
Match Prediction:
Aston Villa 1-1 Norwich
Aston Villa can win this game, but I reckon it would be best not to be over confident or confident at all in this game. Aston Villa are playing some dire football right now and the only way to change that is by changing the system. I reckon that Holt will start, simply because it’s his former team but Albrighton will be a key a figure this week (if he plays). Still I reckon it’s going to be a draw, will it be a great game to watch? Eh, not sure, I predicted a boring game last weekend and there’s little to suggest it will be different this week. Still I hope Villa can play a win out of the bag, and not for Lambert’s sake but more for the fans sake.
A draw. And a shit one at that.
May the pit of Hades open and swallow the unholy trinity of fuck ups.
1-2 Norwich, I have no faith in us winning another game this season.
not sure I agree Holt will start, would be a massive risk in a game like this, I would go 442 but with Weimann up front with Benteke rather than being stuck wide where he is not effective.
We need to get behind the team and the team need to play like they did tail end of last season. If Benteke does not show in any more of our games he needs dropping, dont care how good someones potential is if they dont put in the effort then they dont have the right to play.
It will be interesting to see how the team react to news of the club now announcing the transitional period is over, as place in the squad will now be under threat.
We will probably lose this and bat Chelsea lol
I’ve no idea who will win, as Morgan villa said my eyes are on Benteke today he’s showing signs of want away football, yes Ian Holt for me he has a bone to pick and this is the game,you know I want a win so 1-0 Villa and a dire game.
lamberk usually gets lucky in these games so we should win its norwich ffs not man city. when we win everyone on here will come on the site saying how great we are because wev avoided relegation. expect lerner and lamberk apologists out in force if we win
‘it’s Norwich not Man City’. Sorry but under Lamberk there are no gimme games anymore. We couldn’t manage a home victory against Palace or a West Ham team that had been spanked the previous three games – do I need to bring Sheff U into it? Benteke and Weimann look shadows of the players they were last season so it’s not even as if we’ve got goals in us. On some parallel website they are saying ‘it’s villa ffs’.
And we expect your boring negative wank fest when we lose.
So if Villa win, there can’t be praise? Villa fans aren’t these completely fickle puppets they’re claimed to be. 1 win isn’t going to turn even 1% of the Lambert out brigade.
i don’t care wot your politics R, if you don’t like randy or lambert ~ this is aston villa we all the same. if your lucky enough to go VP sunday cheer the boys on. with UR support they will survive.
i believe we will beat the buggies, only cos their defence is dog poo, we have a top performance due and owed. its will help if fans drag it out of them.but norwich can play if they are allowed to. aston villa must play this like a cup final. press as a team and not allow the buggies time. they looked very nervy against spuds first half, particularly before they scored.
aston villa 3 norwich 0
I would love to have gone down but I’ve given 4 seats to any idiot that wants to go, Canary curry, oops mean let’s be having u, no Billy goat curry, or Baa Baa black sheep, cry me a river Baa Black sheep mutton, slaughtered mutton Lemmins, or should I say at last NATH… I’ve given Villa money till the end of the season and no more Nath, let’s be genuine and be the same person I’m Bill Pearson.
i wasn’t hiding bill ( 2old 4 hide & seek) i decided 2 spice up the curry. the sheep theme was only 2 stimulate me as most convos av been alittle dire. i mean we had lemming gate the L.A law i just wanna chat footy. without offending or being offended
Not wanting to offend or be offended? Yr on the wrong blog mate! Lol!
Dropped another place with Stoke winning.
Its OK Nath I get where your coming from, just letting you know that I’d clocked it, let’s hope our team does its job tomorrow, Stoke pulled it off and we have to do the same,
I went to the U18s match at Southampton today and we lost 5-0. Three or four interesting players there and worth going to watch (since I live 10 miles away). Hopefully the first team will do better tomorrow…
I just can’t see a win tomorrow, no matter how much I want too.
In fact, I can’t even see us getting a draw.
I’m also trying to work out who the 3 teams are that are worse than us. Yes, I think our position is THAT precarious,
I’ll go 0-1 and another “load of crap” performance to go with it.
Cardiff Fulham and W.B.A or Norwich are the sides which will save our bacon
I think we will win 2.1 can’t honestly see us losing it
They’ll be right up for this mate you saw their run in?
If they are in the bottom 3 with 4 games to go they’re well and truly phooked.
Us or them???
Easy easy easy Norwich mate, look at their run in, it’s the run in from hell.
Agreed BWS, they’ll be well up for it. Sad to say, I believe they offer a big threat.
And we’re at home; say no more.
Lose tomorrow and March will probably result in touching cloth time.
Big, big game, but I hope all you predicting the win are right.
The scary thing is badger lambo hab a habit last season of pulling results out the bag when we really needed them, not the case this term but hay ho fingers crossed.
You down there tomorrow?
No mate, is the simple answer.
I was supposed to be working, then had a change of plan, so could have gone.
So I called the daughters and asked if the grandkids fancied it.
Turns out they’ve made alternative arangements and are going with someone else.
And won’t stop rattling about the Villa.
3 kids well and truly in the net, I guess 🙂
I’ll sit in the warm and watch it in comfort, with a ciggy and a beer in my hand. Happy days!
Lol. Quality mate, took the grandson down this season for his first game, he was totally hooked and better still is old man’s a nose!
A ciggy , beer and a Villa game, Shangri phucking la mate (and of course nicely rounded off with a curry).
If your grandson isn’t the timid sort, get him in the back of the Holte mate, imo.
Had some right laughs there.
One kid couldn’t see, so stood up on his seat.
I told him not to step back.
You can guess the rest 🙂
Well funny. A quick whinge about his legs hurting, then I dragged him out, where he got straight back into the singing (without the swear words) 🙂
Our Alfie timid mate,.lol anything but.
Took him the trinity but I’ll give the holte a spin next time, upper?
Absolutely.
I’ve decided anywhere else just isn’t the same.
As close to the middle, as high as you can, can’t be beat for me.
Kids love it and you don’t get the shit you used to get.
I’ll take him up there next time, to be honest it was a bit lame in the upper trinity but saying that is was a good way to acclimatise him.
If you’re like me and still love singing, I’m sure you’ll both enjoy it mate.
With that, I’m out of here.
And will no doubt catch you tomorrow.
Here’s hoping for a nice win.
and it will happen tomorrow and I will be happy with that unless others want us to be relegated ?
What’ll happen Ian?
Do you mean pulling the result out of the bag?
Relegation would be a disaster, with this bunch of wimps.
They wouldn’t have the required fight/nous in them to get straight back up, imo.
Good excuse for Lambert to sign even lower quality shite though 🙁
my heart says we will win tomorrow but my head being just logical says(based on recent experience)it will be awful and we will loose 2 nil as the team bottle it again once more at Villa park. the team need to start to man up and take some responsibility, the way we bottle it when in any position to take any points of late is getting ridiculous.
typical Norwich come to us on the back of a confidence inspiring win against spurs last week but they do have a very fragile defence and have taken some serious spankings this season. id love us to do a sunderland tomorrow and have a 6-1, its been so fucking depressing lately. that was a great night n I seem to remember it was about this time of the season and we were in pretty much the same position then.
Hard to gauge this one both teams are desperate for the 3pts.im going 2-2.utv
Their was a worried man who song a worried song, quiet on here lads but don’t worry the Russians are coming,:-) more imagrants, it will be alright the Villa will win draw, or lose, I’m going for that 1-0 Villa. and back again to have a knock at Lerner, was going but sod it I’ve given others to suffer and not me.
day has arrived ~ can’t wait 2 knock the canaries of their perch.
wot ever happens today we will know more. so important this game is
straight after last weeks defeat, i felt like we would bottle this norwich game like previous pressure games. but iam a sucker 4 blind faith. i av my crusty lucky pants on, loads of bird shit on my car. 2day boys aston villa will finally click. norwich won’t know wot hit um CUM’ON
vtid
What time is kick off ? Sky showing match at 4.00pm yet os showing it as 16:30 ko .
I’m not going to say the result chaps as my heart won’t let me UTV
Same lineup again? No Albrighton again? Counter attack football at home again?
who would be a manager, it was a tough call, playing albrighton means 442 but we lack a left side to balance the team and then 2 CM in delph and westwood we get overrun . 443 wot hes gone for is more compact. which isn’t bad when u take norwich’s plan. against spurs and west ham they poured men forward creating lots of good chances. but also leaving loads of gaps at the back.
that was 433 i tried to sneak a extra body in
now 4-4-3 we might stand a chance 😉
lmao sneak another one on 453 🙂
Good god, up to now we are simply awful 🙁