So there I was, having a look via my usual source to see what football was on today. It turns out there isn’t any, but looking at the page, https://www.livesoccertv.com/competitions/england/premier-league/ ,I noticed something interesting. Villa are one of only four teams to have won four or more of their last games, the others being Wolves and Liverpool. Newcastle head the way, with five wins out of the last five.
The point is Newcastle and ourselves are both in good form, while everyone else around us is dropping points all over the place. I think we’ve seen that for ourselves anyway and many have mentioned how results are going our way for a change, but it’s nice to see it in that table and I recommend having a look at the link. Plus it’s a good site to bookmark too, imo.
I’ve said previously that what we do/did in the Champions League this sesaon, while of course massive, is not as big a deal as us continuing to qualify for the competition (winning it apart, of course) and it’s for this reason I actually almost feel this is a bigger game than the PSG one the other night. I know, that might sound daft to some, but the future is not about qualifying this season and then dropping out next season. It’s about constantly qualifying and getting the revenue, recognition and then better sponsorship, followed by better players coming in. We all know how it works and have watched jealously while the sky 4 or 6 have kept creaming it in.
But things are changing and other clubs are beginning to seriously challenge now, with Newcastle, Villa and even Forest and Bournemouth being in the mix. It’s nice to see and proves that old adage where nothing lasts forever. What I’m getting at, is that an opportunity is presenting itself and we have to take advantage of it before some other club does.
And it’s this that makes this game a possible season breaker in my eyes. Lose this and I’d think CL qualification will most likely be beyond us. Yes, we’d still be very much in the running for the Europa or Conference leagues, but frankly, they’re not the same.
Of course, the Man City game on Tuesday will also be just as important for us, but well, let’s just worry about one game at a time, eh?
Squad news and it’s all good. Everybody is available, which is for the first time in a long while.
As for Newcastle, Lewis Hall is out for the season, Jamaal Lascelles is struggling to be back this season and it’s too soon for Sven Botman.
I’m concerned about this one, I must admit. Newcastle are in the middle of a goalscoring spree, having scored 1,2,3,4 and 5 goals in their previous games and while I’m not expecting them to get anything like 6 goals in this game, I definitely expect them to get more than one. I think we’ve conceded 11 goals against them in our last 3 games and I’m still not convinced we’ve anywhere near tightened our defence up, so I don’t think that bodes well.
But then, we can score goals too and I also see us getting a couple. This is too close for me to call either way really and I think with Newcastle’s pace and the physical approach they have will see the result revolving around our defence.
I’m going for a 2-2 draw and I really hope that’s not the result. 3 points is a must today.
Very, very nervous about this one and can possibly see a shoeing.
This is a must win game. I don’t expect anything away to Citeh on Tuesday because of the distraction from the FA Cup a few days later.
We need to reign the Barcodes back into the mix. I think Forest are getting the jitters at the wrong time. If they win away to Spurs on Monday, then they will be back on track. Citehs run in is quite easy compared to those around them so we need to ensure it’s not just 5th place we are chasing after Tuesday.
I see that Bailey has ‘gone missing’ again – I really can’t see him being at Villa next season.
Otherwise a full squad and Emery tinkers with the line up again.
Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Mattsen, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Assensio, Watkins.
The pundits pretty much all fancy the Barcodes to win and, like Badger, I’m nervous about how this will go.
Defensively we’re still a bit flakey and vulnerable to quick transitioning teams that play at a high intensity – Newcastle for instance.
For a CL place, I think a win is a necessity – a loss unthinkable but a draw wouldn’t be the worst result.
It has to be a win and we are scoring for fun just now. 2-0 from me with fingers crossed
E. Martínez
I. Maatsen
E. Konsa
T. Mings
M. Cash
Y. Tielemans
B. Kamara
J. McGinn (c), Captain
Marco Asensio
M. Rogers
O. Watkins
Substitutes
R. Barkley
L. Digne
A. Disasi
Andrés García
D. Malen
A. Onana
R. Olsen
J. Ramsey
M. Rashford
Sorry Hitch, I didn’t see that you had already posted.
How long before Joelinton commits his first dirty tackle?
This is a very big match! In fact every single one of our remaining matches are big matches.
If we show the same desire and application we showed second half against PSG we will win regardless of the barcodes form.
Yes! Get in OLLIE!!!
1-0
Great start
Record Prem goalscorer for the Villa.
Congrats Ollie!
Who saw that coming
Good to see us being physical and leaving a foot in. It’s absolutely essential we don’t let these dirty Geordie £””kers bully us.
What’s the difference between Tripiers stamp and Duran’s that led to his sending off early in the seaso
Neither looked deliberate, but that one was just more blatantly unintentional to me.
Amen RSS.
We need to stick it to them.
They don’t like it up ’em!
Cheers Badger.
That was a red not a yellow
Wasn’t a free kick.
Shit ref.
Bollox!
1-1
Free header.
Poor defending from a cross – again
Asensio mis-kick Jesus.
What a sitter.
And the player that should have been sent off scores…
Absolutely, Schär should have been in the showers not in our box scoring and it wasn’t a free kick anyway.
Dirty lot aren’t they?
Horribly so Hitch.
I’d go as so far as to say they are an absolute disgrace, very much akin to that Leeds team of the 70’s.
So many chances, so many poor final balls.
I’m getting concerned it’s going to be one of those games.
Now hit the woodwork twice and Asensio missing a golden opportunity
Newcastle are a bit Wimbledon.
And is Jason Tindall the biggest pr1ck in football today?
Got to be up there 😁
Is the spitting dipper that should have had his P45 his sidekick today ( need subtitles when he’s on)
Sorry mate got my wires crossed, thought you were on about Tyldesley🤦♂️
And yeah, he’s a full on bell end.
Owns it, maybe.
I know Jason to talk to and he is a pleasant bloke away from the camera. Definitely the Chasin’ Jason to Howe’s Steady Eddie – he advocates the all attacking style that Bournemouth and Newcastle have while Howe tries to keep a tighter defence.
Is that what you call it?
Personally I’d label it cynical brutality.
How they keep 11 men on the pitch is beyond me, an absolutely disgraceful side.
Watkins dive, for me.
We can’t keep giving the ball away in dangerous midfield / defensive situations.
If in doubt kick it anywhere.
Was just about to say the same. It looks like some of our defenders have a bet on Newcastle!
Don’t take your chances + keep giving the ball away = loss.
We’ve been the better side too, imo.
Maddening last 5 mins. So lax but we survived. Dilemma for Uni with Ollie playing his best for ages and Rashford so keen to get on. Maybe try to play them together for a while. This is a different Ollie
They are overloading Cash’s side to get the crosses over or to cut in and shoot. I would like to see Malen on for Asensio and push Rogers central.
They are putting in some dirty tackles as per usual. We need to match up the physicality as we can’t allow them to bully us.
Agree Holte. Our right is ripe to be targetted, just like it used to be our left that got battered. It’s our weak point.
Definitely Malen on, as he has plenty to offer and Rogers can go anywhere for me. He’s just great running at them wherever he is.