Dave Woodhall on Villa’s week and the Premier League drop zone.
Aston VIlla Holte End. Photo: Steve Beauchampe
Villa are one of the form teams of the Premier League. Over the past eight games only three teams have got more points. We’re currently thirteenth in the league with just two games to play and have already reached the forty point total that’s reckoned to be the safety mark. But…
You can’t be certain. There have been already been some strange results this season and the last weeks always see even more curiosities. Then there’s the Wigan factor.
The team are certainly making sure that if they don’t stop up it won’t be for the want of trying. After the sublime performance against Sunderland last Saturday’s trip to Carrow Road showed that Villa have acquired the most important ability for a successful side, namely being able to win when not playing particularly well. They never really got going against a poor Norwich side yet still ended up with three points thanks to a couple of superb goals from Gabby Agbonlahor. The first was a solo effort that began with him picking the ball up inside the Villa half, his 89th minute winner came after an inch-perfect through ball from Ashley Westwood. Villa don’t do simple goals. They don’t do clean sheets either, although at least the penalty given away by Joe Bennett had no major effect except to the goal difference, which could still play a part in how the table finishes up. At the moment there are eight clubs with six points between them and anyone in the bottom half could still go down. Villa have got Chelsea at home on Saturday (which isn‘t as hopeless a task as it might sound – our record against them at Villa Park is better than you’d think) then the game Sky are desperately hoping will still be important, Wigan on the final day.
Any team with Agbonlahor, Benteke and Weimann all on form should be able to get something from those games. Even if they don’t, I find it hard to believe that all the clubs below us will improve. But…