We’ve got a West Midlands derby today! It should be one cracker of a match as well. Aston Villa played well against Liverpool in their previous Premier League game, while West Brom played their first game under Pepe Mel. Mel’s team managed to bag a point against Everton. Both teams are in similar positions in the Premier League table and both teams will want to win this one. West Brom, under Mel will mostly be playing possession football. Lots of passing and trying to break the opposition down. While Villa will aim to play on the counter as well as having their midfield push the game to the oppositions halve. Agbonlahor played superbly against Liverpool and it’s looking as though he’ll miss this game tonight through an injury sustained against Liverpool. His pace will surely be missed especially against West Brom who have, in general slow defenders. Grant Holt will likely start up front.
Aston Villa managed to tie against West Brom in the earlier season fixture with Villa coming back from 2-0 to tie 2-2. Westwood and El Ahmadi scored the goals for Villa that day. While, now Hull-striker Shane Long scored a brace for West Brom.
Liam Ridgewell will be playing against his former club tonight. Ridgewell was at Aston Villa for 7 years and made 79 appearances for Villa scoring 7 goals. He moved to rivals Birmingham in 2007 for £2 million. He was the first player, since Des Bremmer (moved in 1984) to transfer between the bitter rivals.
Team News:
Gabriel Agbonlahor is a doubt and will likely miss the game against West Brom. But there is good news, Nathan Baker is now available following a concussion obtained against Arsenal.
West Brom will be without Stephane Sessegnon who underwent a groin injury, he’ll be out for a month. Whilst Gareth McAuley and Goran Popov are available following hamstring and neck injuries.
Match Facts:
- Aston Villa have committed more fouls than any other team in the Barclays Premier League (294).
- West Brom have conceded a higher proportion of long range goals (28%) than any other side this season in the Barclays Premier League.
- 55% of the goals Aston Villa have conceded this season have been shipped in the first half; the highest proportion in the league this season.
- Villa have scored just eight goals at Villa Park this season, fewer than any other team on home soil in the top flight.
- Aston Villa have currently won 299 Barclays Premier League games
Predicted Lineups:
Guzan
Bacuna-Vlaar-Clark-Bertrand
Albrighton-Westwood-Delph-Weimann
Benteke-Holt
Anelka-Anichebe
Brunt-Yacob-Mulumbu-Gera
Ridgewell-Olsson-Lugano-Reid
Foster
Match Prediction:
Aston Villa 2-0 West Brom
Surely Villa will win this one? The reason why Lambert is under pressure isn’t because Villa are in a poor position, it’s their home form. If Lambert can find a way to win games at home, Villa will be on the up and the pressure would ease on the manager. Having said that, I reckon Villa will win. Without Agbonlahor it will be more difficult, but if Holt is going to play, he’s going to need some service out wide. Who better to get that from than Bacuna and/or Albrighton? I expect a heated contest and I hope it’ll be a very good game.
Paul Lambert is God!
Arise Sir Lerner!
Comment of the day right here
Yay! home win!
Halleluiah!
We’re winning at home, we’re winning at home, we’re Aston Villa and we’re winning at home!
🙂 🙂 🙂 😉
Yea first home win since er…….er…..oh yea, November 9 2013. All very impressive.
Still made fuckin hard work of beating one of the worst teams at home
4~3 win says we have 3 points 2nite
Phew. Some nice goals, Andi looking good again is the best news of all (well, Bacuna, Benteke and Delph scoring was great), let’s hope Gabby is back soon to join the party.
Out of interest did Holt actually do anything?
saw him get a yellow card
Has he still got a fat ass?
brilliant excellent superb 🙂 granite vlaar and benteke was awesome and my man of match weimann he is a totally different player since he got his goal ~ bring on everton
NM..LOL…my secret has been revealed to the nation!
lol the only thing more depressing than supporting Villa sometimes is reading the abject depression put into words by villa fans before during and throughout a 4-3 derby day win at home …
we win a game.. the other team is shit ..
we come back from 2-0 down .. some how that isn’t supposed to happen ..
are the footballing gods present on this site? in that they determine what scoreline as well sequence of scores are acceptable or possible?
why shouldn’t we go 2-0 down?
it was in all honesty a spuberbly taken pot shot from out of nowhere and an O.G …
that happens every weekend somewhere in football – I don’t understand the indignation of our supporters at suffering the same feat.
what sport are ye looking at! .. to me its based on the final score!
should there be a link to the Samaritans on this site?
Their call volume would spike!
as for Vlaar and Clark ..
Clark got down by amalfitano and he was involved with the mulumbu goal.
but was it all Clark for that goal?
I think that is a classic CB cock up ..
pure mic communication
it looked so amateurish but i don’ think we can excuse Vlaar completely for it.
in other news Villa 3 points clear in 10th after a entertaining 4-3 win …
on to Everton!
are we facing them at the right time? the wrong time? i am sure they will be trying to comeback from that humiliation against liverpool