Villa Face Leicester without Super Jack
3 DAYS AGO - Villa take the field without Jack Grealish for the first time in 48 PL matches as the Foxes come Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Villa take the field without Jack Grealish for the first time in 48 PL matches as the Foxes come calling. Collapse
Will Hammer Time See Villa Fifth?
03/02/2021 - It was a gritty and fairly unspectacular performance from Villa that saw them finally break their Expand
03/02/2021 - It was a gritty and fairly unspectacular performance from Villa that saw them finally break their Saints jinx 1-0, as Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley combined flawlessly on the game’s only goal. Tonight, it’s West Ham, the season’s other surprise team, who’ve climbed up to fifth, three ahead of Villa. Should Villa win, that’s where we could end up at the end of the day with a little help from Leeds. Who probably also should also be included in the season's surprises. Collapse
Can Villa Add to Bruce’s Misery?
23/01/2021 - After a few days’ research into an offside rule no one quite seems to understand, much less agree Expand
23/01/2021 - After a few days’ research into an offside rule no one quite seems to understand, much less agree with, Villa will pick themselves up from the 0-2 defeat to City in their first post-Covid match, and look for a better return against struggling Newcastle and once-again-under-fire manager Steve Bruce. Collapse
Villa’s Youth Shine
12/01/2021 - After the FA Cup exploits of Villa's youth, the senior side's Covid crisis has taken center stage. Expand
12/01/2021 - After the FA Cup exploits of Villa's youth, the senior side's Covid crisis has taken center stage. Spurs is obviously postponed (sorry Fulham), and we'll see what we've got to work with against the Toffees on Sunday. Maybe. So let's talk about the kids some more. Collapse
Can Villa Kick Their Home Form up a Notch?
26/12/2020 - Palace have got that Liverpool drubbing in their minds. Inspiration? You never know, but I'm Expand
26/12/2020 - Palace have got that Liverpool drubbing in their minds. Inspiration? You never know, but I'm betting they're going to want to acquit themselves a bit better. Collapse
Changes for Villa as Burnley Start to Wake Up
17/12/2020 - Off the heels of Villa’s dramatic, injury-time victory over a dogged Wolves side, it’s time for Expand
17/12/2020 - Off the heels of Villa’s dramatic, injury-time victory over a dogged Wolves side, it’s time for Burnley. Which is never really a game anyone wants to play. But, they’re in the league, so you have to. Collapse
Time for Villa to Cash In on Jack?
25/11/2020 - Is £100 million fair compensation for Jack’s services? If it is, then it’s time for Edens and Expand
25/11/2020 - Is £100 million fair compensation for Jack’s services? If it is, then it’s time for Edens and Sawiris to cash in. Grealish isn’t ever going to be worth much more than he is right now. Collapse
Villa Expose, Outgun Arsenal: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
10/11/2020 - In case you were wondering what had gone wrong at Villa Park, Aston Villa delivered a message in Expand
10/11/2020 - In case you were wondering what had gone wrong at Villa Park, Aston Villa delivered a message in their well-deserved 0-3 smashing of Arsenal at The Emirates: We’re alright, thank you very much. With Ross Barkley and John McGinn back on song, Villa sent opposition fans into meltdown, and moved back up to sixth. Not bad for a Sunday night. Collapse
Villa Throw Caution to the Wind and Leeds Made them Pay: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.
24/10/2020 - Turns out 5-0-0 wasn’t meant to be. Shame, that. And even more so since the inevitable first Expand
24/10/2020 - Turns out 5-0-0 wasn’t meant to be. Shame, that. And even more so since the inevitable first defeat was a bit resounding. Bielsa won the first PL round with Smith, and Leeds ran away clear and deserved winners. However, it wasn’t as inevitable on the night as it turned out looking. Collapse
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Rollercoaster Villa Look to Maintain Upward Trajectory against Brighton
13/02/2021 - Last weekend, Villa notched their third consecutive clean sheet against Arsenal for the first time Expand
13/02/2021 - Last weekend, Villa notched their third consecutive clean sheet against Arsenal for the first time in the club’s history, capping off a roller-coaster run of 6 games in 18 days following the squad’s return from quarantine. It was a good victory that left Mikel Arteta a bit nonsensical, even if it wasn’t one for the ages. Collapse
Another Bogey Side up for Villa in Southampton
30/01/2021 - I’m sure everyone’s still smarting from throwing away the Burnley match. But every time I’ve heard Expand
30/01/2021 - I’m sure everyone’s still smarting from throwing away the Burnley match. But every time I’ve heard the commentators observe, “Villa have not lost a match in which they’ve taken the lead,” you know it’s going to happen sooner or later. So, that slate’s wiped clean, at least. Collapse
Villa Are Back, but How Much Will They Have in the Tank?
20/01/2021 - Seems like an eternity has passed since Villa lost 1-2 to Manchester United, but following the Expand
20/01/2021 - Seems like an eternity has passed since Villa lost 1-2 to Manchester United, but following the Covid scare and two postponements, the side are finally back in action tonight against high-flying Manchester City. Collapse
2020 Was a Very Good Year. For Villa, Anyway.
01/01/2021 - What can I say about 2020? Thank you again, Dean. Thank you Villa. And thank you to all who read Expand
01/01/2021 - What can I say about 2020? Thank you again, Dean. Thank you Villa. And thank you to all who read and contribute. Oh, and Happy New Year to you all. Collapse
Merry Christmas, Villans, and Keep the Faith
24/12/2020 - Christmas Eve, and Villa sit ninth, having taken 7 of the last 10 points on offer. For once, Expand
24/12/2020 - Christmas Eve, and Villa sit ninth, having taken 7 of the last 10 points on offer. For once, Villans can actually relax and enjoy their holiday. I’d even go so far as to say we should be rather happy. Collapse
Ramsey & Traoré Start Against Wolves
12/12/2020 - Seems a lifetime since Ollie’s armpit was offside and Villa were denied a point against the Expand
12/12/2020 - Seems a lifetime since Ollie’s armpit was offside and Villa were denied a point against the Hammers. But the big news is that in Barkley’s absence, Aaron Ramsey comes into the side. Collapse
How Serious Are Villa’s Intentions?
21/11/2020 - Brighton & Hove Albion today, the first Saturday 3pm kickoff in 270-some days, I've read. Expand
21/11/2020 - Brighton & Hove Albion today, the first Saturday 3pm kickoff in 270-some days, I've read. Coming in, you’d have to favor Villa. But that’s exactly the sticking point. There are no easy games in the PL, apart from Liverpool and Arsenal, and after the international travel and exertions, the players have to hit the ground running against a side it might be tempting to overlook. Collapse
Match Day: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
08/11/2020 - There’s been a lot of angst about the goals shipped in Villa's last two, and with Southampton, I Expand
08/11/2020 - There’s been a lot of angst about the goals shipped in Villa's last two, and with Southampton, I maintain it’s rather hard on the team to draw too many conclusions from a dead-ball masterclass from Ward-Prowse. Yes, reckless fouls on our part, and down to being second best in the early going. But ordinarily you just wouldn’t be punished so ruthlessly. Down three at the half, Villa would be forgiven for not quite believing they were three goals worse.
Today, though, it's Arsenal, and they've had a couple decent results. But until Arteta & Co can show us this is a new era, we can be forgiven for expecting their up-and-down ways to continue. Doesn’t mean we come away with a victory today, of course. But this isn't necessarily a team to fear any more than Southampton or Leeds, in the end. And we like being underdogs. Collapse
Can Villa Make it Five?
23/10/2020 - Tough, quality win at Leicester Sunday followed by a completely different test against Leeds Expand
23/10/2020 - Tough, quality win at Leicester Sunday followed by a completely different test against Leeds tonight. Adding a bit of froth is the recent history between the two sides and the way the press has handled Marcelo Bielsa compared with Dean Smith. Collapse
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What’s Dean Got up his Sky-Blue Sleeve?
06/02/2021 - Well, it was disappointing against West Ham. Some (me included) believe we were tired, some don’t. Expand
06/02/2021 - Well, it was disappointing against West Ham. Some (me included) believe we were tired, some don’t. Whatever the take, Villa came out worthy 1-3 losers. So. What does Deano do against an improved Arsenal on a short turn? Collapse
It’s Burnley, and an Ungracious Dyche for Villa Tonight
27/01/2021 - A busy day in the league, and another important match for Villa. They're all important of course, Expand
27/01/2021 - A busy day in the league, and another important match for Villa. They're all important of course, but, like Newcastle, we're facing one of those games you sort of "have" to win to stay in the top half. That said, Sean Dyche's Clarets have started to wake up and lay claim to the their generally mediocre destiny. Which isn't to say they don't punch over their weight. They make the most of what they've got, as the Liverpool result shows. Collapse
Can We Have Our Game Back, Please?
18/01/2021 - Unfortunately, over the years and decades of football in almost every country, the innocence and Expand
18/01/2021 - Unfortunately, over the years and decades of football in almost every country, the innocence and spontaneity of the game is slowly being whittled away. Strict adherence to a manager’s tactics make the game more stilted. The biggest detriment? VAR. Collapse
Have Villa Got the Legs and Which Chelsea Will Show Up?
28/12/2020 - Villa found themselves down a man against Crystal Palace and took the game by the scruff of the Expand
28/12/2020 - Villa found themselves down a man against Crystal Palace and took the game by the scruff of the neck to sweep aside the Eagles 3-0 with two second-half goals. Now it’s Chelsea, and the 48-hour turn. Lampard’s men looked sluggish and devoid of ideas against Arsenal, which, unfortunately, means Frank will be demanding a response. Collapse
Villa First to Face Big Sam’s Baggies
20/12/2020 - The weekend draws to a close with Villa at The Hawthorns tonight following a dominating but Expand
20/12/2020 - The weekend draws to a close with Villa at The Hawthorns tonight following a dominating but goalless performance against Burnley. Who can forget the drama of our last visit? Collapse
Would Villa be Happy with a Point Tonight?
30/11/2020 - The end of a long layoff sees Villa travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham. A fresher Expand
30/11/2020 - The end of a long layoff sees Villa travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham. A fresher Villa will be looking to bounce back after the disappointing loss to Brighton, but the Hammers won’t be a pushover, and Villa are without Ross Barkley’s services. Collapse
Will Villa Be Hobbled Before Reaching the Promised Land?
18/11/2020 - As much as I take football news from England with a grain of salt, and a wonderment at the amount Expand
18/11/2020 - As much as I take football news from England with a grain of salt, and a wonderment at the amount of non-news they can turn into a column, concern has crept into my thinking. It all started with a few comments on Douglas Luiz and Manchester City’s possible buy back. Collapse
Reaction Time?
01/11/2020 - What will the side have to say about themselves against Southampton?
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