Welp, another tough match in what’s proven to be a challenging stretch. Villa’s 10 minutes of chaos against Brentford cost them two points and 4th, for now, while City was…sobering, perhaps. But, here we are with Lille coming to town for a Conference League Quarterfinal in what might be yet another ‘must-win’. You never know, of course, but you’d certainly like to win the home leg. As you might expect, Emery is fielding about as strong a side as he can, with Rogers and Bailey getting starting nods and Konsa, Carlos and Torres filling out the back three with Digne wide left. Will certainly be g ..read more

You’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s City going for the double tonight, but hey, in this time of wonders, it’s Villa who could actually claim that honor. So that’s fun. But the odds seem pretty long given City’s need to win and far better health (never mind their overall depth), and I think most of us realistically are penciling this in as a loss. I’d think about 18 other teams in the league would, as well. But we are seemingly living in an age of miracles. It wasn’t that long ago Villa comprehensively outplayed a weakened City side at Villa Park, and Villa have had very few truly poor per ..read more

The weekend was good for Villa: They took care of their own business, and City did, too, the two results pushing Villa’s cushion to sixth back up to 11 points. Not insignificant at this stage of the season. And then of course it’s Ajax on Thursday to recommence our European campaign after a much-needed break. So first off, let’s stop and take that in: Villa are fourth in the League, and playing Ajax in the elimination rounds of the Conference League. Sounds a bit like the sort of scenario we’ve been dreaming of returning to for god knows how many years. First, the league. Others have gone thro ..read more

While not exactly cranking out the wins, Luton Town have started making it very hard going to play against them. So here we are, the proverbial banana skin that isn’t really a banana skin because every manager will tell you there are no easy games. Doesn’t mean there aren’t games that break wide open for you, or those where the opponent is committed to having a poor day. But by and large, there aren’t any matches you can bank as wins without expecting to be challenged. For Villa on the day, this is simply about whether they’re once again up for the desperation of the danger zone as the season ..read more

It’s Forest who come calling at Villa Park today desperately in need of points. Villa are almost equally desperate for points to stay ahead of Spurs and United in the race for Europe. Would be a good time to resume normal service under Unai Emery at Villa Park. There are, at most, 13 games standing between us and the dream scenario of finally clinching a Champions League finish. There are also four games standing between Villa and European silverware. So. 17 games. But maybe not quite that many if Villa can rediscover their home form. We’ve seen the various breakdowns about what we probably ne ..read more

With the FA Cup replay Wednesday, and a chance to put 11 points between them and United on Sunday, Villa picked a good time to rediscover their mojo at Bramall Lane. It could’ve been a much less ebullient occasion, but Emery & Co look to have learned a little bit from a string of disappointing if not tragic results, especially against the bottom-half clubs who’ve taken to parking the bus. Sorry ‘playing a low block’. Why five goals? Villa played it forward quicker, finding Ollie and Bailey in space instead of letting The Blades get set. That’s what they’ve needed to do, and they went out a ..read more

We’re back to the league, with up-and-coming panto villains Saudi Arabia Upon Tyne visiting to continue what’s become an interesting bellwether fixture among the Other 14. And naturally, we’ve got streaks on both sides that point to very different things. Bottom line, based on last season, Villa are overperforming while Newcastle are doing the opposite. I hear about injuries and the like, but I don’t think the toon have had it any worse than Villa in terms of impact to the overall quality and size of the squad. So, do Villa continue their torrid run of home form, or do Newcastle end their away ..read more

This break thing has been a bit weird. No football, more injury setbacks. And now it’s down to London and Stamford Bridge to play a 4th-round FA Cup tie for the first time in ages. Probably not the worst thing, in the end, even if Unai has made it clear it’s not Villa’s top priority. Judging from his comments, seems a little bit of gamesmanship going on implying it’s more important for Chelsea, which is kind of a new twist from him. Thing is, he’s in a funny spot. Doesn’t really have many choices other than his best available XI at the moment, so he and Villa have to take this game, if not the ..read more

Here we are traveling to the Riverside to take on Middlesboro and try to avoid a slightly embarrassing record of FA Cup exits. I’d think that in itself would spur Emery on. But obviously, how seriously Villa take the competition has to be viewed in a larger context. The most common sentiment I see is that a majority of fans (maybe a slim one), see the domestic cups as a manageable path to glory and want Villa to take both of them seriously. And now we only have the one to worry about. I completely understand. A 67-year drought in the FA Cup is a bit sobering, and I know everyone would be over ..read more

It’s City, finally, and a funny time to be playing them given their recent form and the 3-3 draw with Spurs. They’re not at their best and they need a win, never mind the three points. For Villa, it’s inevitably going to be seen as a referendum on both our aspirations and quality. Anytime you’re an outsider dancing around the top 4, well, there are going to be questions until you notch a signal victory. Is tonight the night? No idea. It’s why I don’t bet or make predictions. I’m terrible at them, even if I have pretty good gut feelings. In Emery’s presser, the stakes were clearly addressed, al ..read more