I did actually start to write a post match article last week, but other events took over and basically I just never found time to finish it. Suffice to say that while I was disappointed, I wasn’t too unhappy, as I thought our play going forward was actually quite good and it was overall a good game.
It was Arsenal too, where I didn’t expect too much and we got pretty much what I thought we would.
Onto this week then and it’s hard being a Villa fan, isn’t it?
While if you’re anything like me, you expect us to lose to Arsenal, yet I expect to beat Everton but have a nasty, nagging feeling that we won’t.
Last weeks match was typical Villa and after taking the lead twice, we then basically went on to throw it away and it’s no wonder I fully expect us to do something similar today.
Squad news and there isn’t much. Diego Carlos is back in training, but is a while off yet.
Everton have Amadou Onana available after he went off last week, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andros Townsend, Nathan Patterson and James Garner are all out.
Everton of course, have Sean Dyche recently installed as their manager and he’s a manager I quite like. Yes, he has a method of playing that many dislike, but it’s efficient, which is proven by the fact that they’ve won three of their four games under him. That’s as many as their previous twenty games under Lampard and it’s a pretty impressive statistic, in my opinion.
So there’s the new manager bounce thing to be aware of too.
I’d fully expect Dyche to keep Everton from relegation, but we don’t want to add to that, do we?
I fear we will though.
Everton don’t score many goals and haven’t scored more than one in their last thirteen games.
With our leaky defence, I have a sneaky feeling that that’s another run that we’ll bring an end too. It’s the Villa way, after all.
So while I’m not at all confident that we’ll get a win, I am trying to stay upbeat and positive and am going to predict a 1-1 draw.
Would I take a point?
Well, a few weeks ago I’d have probably been pretty annoyed, but now I actually think it wouldn’t be a bad result, taking the new manager thing into account.
1-1 it is then. Unless our defence does it’s usual thing.
UTV
Some really good performances. McGinn playing further back to help Cash. Ramsay carrying the ball mega distance giving our defence time to reorganise. Our goalie turned up. I was already having a good weekend. UPTV
Good professional performance and another brilliant goal line clearance from Mings. Thought Kamara and Luiz were strong in midfield as well.
Pressure eased so now let’s start turning our home performances around.
To be fair to Everton we were under siege at times but a massive well-done to our lot for grinding out that result.
McGinn was motm for me, strong, battled for ninety minutes.
Good to see him back to his best