Match Preview: Aston Villa v Spurs (let us hope for better things!)

 

Match Preview: Aston Villa v Spurs (let us hope for better things!)

SUN 21 MAR 2021PREMIER LEAGUE 19:30

Venue: Villa Park

Before we go to Sunday's match, let us have a quick reflection on Thursday's disastrous cock-up.

Humiliating defeat

Jose Mourinho apologised to us, fans,  and said his players failed "at the basics of life" after we threw away a 2-0 lead to be knocked out of the Europa competition. No shit Bozo! But he wasn't the only one in a critical mood. Our second-leg display was described as "diabolical" and "a disaster" by Glenn Hoddle, as he watched us being eliminated from the competition. Then there was Lloris, who called our performance a "disgrace".

Mourinho also said, "My team - I repeat, my team - didn't look like it was playing an important match. If for any one of them it is not important, for me it is. I am disappointed for a difference of attitude of one team to another. I feel sorry that my team is the team that didn't bring to the game, not just the basics of football but the basics of life, which is to respect our jobs and to give everything. I can only apologise to the Tottenham supporters. I hope they feel the same way I feel. Today is live or die - and in this moment, we die."

Sadly, this shit has been going on for a while. One moment we are brilliant, then shit, then competent or maybe adequate. Not the qualities of a top challenging football team. Nor the qualities of a manager that is supposed to be a go-getter and was hungry for everything.

"For the respect, I have for my career and my job, every match is important," Mourinho said. "For every Tottenham fan at home, every match matters. Another attitude is needed. What I feel is much more than sadness. I just left the Dinamo dressing room where I went to praise the guys, and I feel sorry it is not my team who won the game based on attitude and compromise. I feel more than sad. Football is not just about players who think they have more quality than others. The basis of football is attitude. They beat us on that."

We shall leave that there and concentrate on resurrecting something for this season, starting at Villa Park.

TEAM NEWS

Aston Villa

Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith says a decision will be made on Sunday morning as to whether Jack Grealish is fit to return from a shin injury. Bertrand Traore should be available despite a blow to his ribs last week, while Matty Cash could be recalled.

Spurs

We are again expected to be without Son because of the thigh injury he suffered against Arsenal. Erik Lamela serves a one-game ban as a consequence of last week's sending off. Giovani Lo Celso returned from injury as a substitute against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night, and he could make his first league appearance since December.

My thoughts and prediction

Aston Villa have been up and down for many weeks now and have only won one of their past six games. However, saying that, the same could be said about us. Our lousy performance against the Gunners and Zagreb was bizarre and flawed after our previous form led to these two matches.

Son’s injury is a blow for us, but whether he is fit or not, I don't see our approach changing too much.

I am usually an optimistic person, however, after the last two games, I’ve been knocked for six. It will all depend on who turns up at a particular match. Against Arsenal and Zagreb, I think some or maybe all missed their bus and clones were put in their place. If that was the case, then I should go back to the manufacturer and ask for a rebate and then shoot the clones' creators several times in the head for selling us such fucking crap.

My possible starting lineup:

Lloris; Doherty, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Reguilon; Hojbjerg, Ndombele; Bale, Lucas, Bergwijn; Kane

So, my prediction… I shall go for 1-3, depending on who turns up. If the clones are back in contention, we will get a hiding, just as Villa gave Liverpool by putting seven past them in the early days.

Prediction: 1-3

Harry Kane has scored five goals in his past three games against Villa

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Aston Villa have won just one of the last 19 meetings in all competitions, drawing three times and losing 15.

As for us, we have triumphed on our last six visits to Villa Park in all competitions, doing so by an aggregate score of 17-3.

Villa could lose six straight Premier League home games against a particular opponent for only the third occasion.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa have won just once in six Premier League matches - and four of 14 since Boxing Day.

They scored 27 goals in their first 13 league fixtures of the season, but only 12 in the last 14.

Villa haven't scored more than once in any of their past nine top-flight games, managing six goals in total.

Only Manchester City and Chelsea have conceded fewer goals than Villa's total of 28.

Eleven of Villa's 12 Premier League wins this season have been accompanied by a clean sheet.

Emiliano Martinez could equal Brad Friedel's Premier League club record of 15 cleans sheets in a season.

Villa have won only one of seven league games without Jack Grealish since their 2019 promotion, drawing two and losing four.

Tottenham Hotspur

We have lost four of our last five away league matches, as many as in our previous 20.

We have been beaten in seven successive games against teams currently in the top half of the table.

We also have lost nine league fixtures this term - Jose Mourinho has never been beaten 10 times in a league season during his managerial career.

We are winless in our past five Premier League matches without drawing two and losing three. Not good omens.

Gareth Bale scored the first league hat-trick of his senior club career when he last faced Villa in a 4-0 away triumph in December 2012.

Mourinho has lost only two of 14 matches against Villa in all competitions, winning eight and drawing four.

Aston Villa Premier League form:

DLWLDD

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

LLWWWL

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

WWWWLL

So, there you have it; who is going to turn up for us against Villa? The team that is capable of thrashing Villa out of existence or the clone hijackers that have only one mode of function, to humiliate the originals and fuck them over. Don’t ask me; I am no wiser than you, the reader. The same can be and will be said about our game against City in the League Cup.

It was Michael Jordan who said, “Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.” I think we took that saying and reversed it, “always turn a positive into a negative situation,” which we’ve been doing for some time now.

Take care and be safe, it might, just might, all get better, and we go on a fantastic run, with us ending up in the top 3. Then again…

Glenn

COYS!