As the season nears it’s finish, Aston Villa are presented with a chance to pick up what could be a catastrophic 3 points against a Norwich City side, as the Canaries could face the looming doom of relegation if other results were to additionally go against them.
BUILD UP
Aston Villa are back in action and back at Villa Park as they play hosts to former boss Dean Smith’s rock-bottom Norwich City in round 35 of the 21/22 Premier League season.
Last time out, Steven Gerrard’s side put an end to a four-game losing streak with a goalless draw against Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. It was a game that saw very little action, but the away side left with a point that was well-needed after the Villans had slowly started to drift down the league table over the last month or so.
The claret and blues find themselves in 15th place and whilst relegation may seem unlikely, Everton (who occupy 18th position) are just 8 points behind Gerrard’s men. A win this weekend would certainly settle the nerves of the fans that carry these concerns, and may be a victory that also relegates Norwich City from the league if other results go against them.
During the week, young midfielder Jacob Ramsey committed his future at the club by signing a new deal, keeping him at B6 until 2027. Ramsey becomes the third first-team player to sign new 5-year contracts this season, joining goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and defender Matty Cash, who each look set to be a part of the club’s long-term future too.
The No.41 has been in fine form this campaign, and this contract is a reward for his magnificent performances. Boss Steven Gerrard reveals “He’s someone I want to build around this club moving forward.”, with the former Rangers manager an avid admirer of the 20 year-old since his arrival.
Ramsey bagged a superb individual goal in this weekend’s reverse fixture at Carrow Road, after picking up the ball from his own half and driving at the Canaries’ defence before sending a powerful strike past veteran ‘keeper Tim Krul. “Great goal, by me” were the words Ramsey used when asked about the effort. The game finished 2-0 after a late Ollie Watkins tap-in put the cherry on top of a reasonably comfortable victory away from home.
It will be an emotional return back to Villa Park for former manager Dean Smith who will make his first trip to his previous workplace since his dismissal back in November. Smith spent three successful years at his boyhood club, and is well thought of by the Aston Villa faithful for winning promotion back to the top league and also solidifying the club’s place within the division.
Sentiment will have to go out the window this week however, with Dean Smith tasked with keeping his struggling Norwich City side up. There are just five more games to go for the East-Anglian side who will need to pull off something special to remain in the top-flight for next season.
Can Dean Smith come back to Villa Park and snatch three points towards a relegation resurgence, or will his successor get the better of him and send the Canaries back down to the second tier?
Let’s take a look at the team news from both dressing rooms heading into the upcoming clash…
VILLA STORE
TEAM NEWS
Steven Gerrard looks set to be without four of his first-team players this weekend, including that of left-back Lucas Digne. The French full-back has been unlucky in regards to injuries during his time at the club so far, and the former Evertonian will miss the rest of the league season after suffering a dislocated collarbone in the last ten minutes of the 4-0 battering from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month.
The No.27 also suffered injuries in recent fixtures against Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United which saw him removed from the game within the opening minutes of each tie. Both Gerrard and Digne will hope the January signing’s fortunes change for next season, with the aim to remain injury free and re-find form that has seen the French international recognised as one of the league’s best left-backs.
Another man that has suffered heavily with injuries this campaign is winger Bertrand Traoré, who will miss yet another game this weekend through the same hamstring injury that has kept the No.15 on the sidelines for most of the season. Traoré, like Digne, will hope the 22/23 season is a better one, with the Burkino Faso captain only notching up a total of 171 minutes for his club all season.
Defender Kortney Hause may miss the upcoming fixture too with a continued abdominal injury that has recently affected the 26 year-old. Hause has been absent from the previous six games because of this injury, but the centre-half may return to the match-day squad against his former gaffer on Saturday.
Another man who could return to the fold this week is No. 8 Morgan Sanson who would love to feature against Dean Smith having reportedly fallen out with the now Norwich boss during the Frenchman’s time at B6. Sanson has been in and out of the team throughout his Aston Villa career, and will hope to find some consistency within the starting eleven as the current season closes out.
This weekend’s opponents, Norwich City, also have a number of key individuals missing for the important clash this week, including the likes of Josh Sargent and Ozan Kabak. The American Sargent has been missing for over a month with an ankle injury, and Dean Smith will hope the forward can return to the side to bolster his attacking ranks on Saturday.
Defender Ozan Kabab, who spent last season on loan at Liverpool, has recently sustained a hamstring injury and Dean Smith confirmed that the loanee “will be out for the rest of the season” as a result. The Turkish international can stay at Carrow Road on a permanent basis due to a clause in his current contract, which will be something that Smith will weigh up ahead of next season.
Youngsters Andrew Omabamidele and Adam Idah will miss the game with respective injuries, with Omabamidele suffering from a lower back injury that has kept him out of action since mid-December. Striker Idah has also been in the injury room for some time, with his last appearance in yellow dating back to February’s clash with Crystal Palace. The Irishman picked up a long-term knee injury which will also keep him out for the remainder of the 21/22 campaign.
The final absentee for the Canaries ahead of this this weekend’s clash at Villa Park is German midfielder Lukas Rupp. The former Hoffenhein man has struggled with numerous injuries over the course of the season, and has only racked up 14 appearances as a result. Rupp will miss yet another tie with a continued knee injury but should feature again in yellow and green towards the end of the campaign.
Aside from this, Dean Smith will have a fully fit Norwich City squad to take with him to Villa Park, including key names like Teemu Pukki, Mathias Normann and former Aston Villa transfer target Milot Rashica who are all available.
With that being said, let’s take a closer look at this week’s opposition ahead of Saturday’s game…
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THE OPPOSITION
Both Daniel Farke (who started the season as Norwich City boss) and Dean Smith have struggled to get the best out of the Norwich City squad this season, hence why the Canaries find themselves rooted to the bottom of the division. The club have been unable to invest heavily in the transfer market due to a severe lack of funds that distances them from the rest of the league who, for the most part, could spend freely ahead of the season’s beginning and during January’s mid-season window.
There has been a reliance on the ability of loan signings, e.g. Mathias Normman and Ozan Kabak, but consistent absences through injuries have certainly affected many players’ playing time and opportunities to make a difference and ultimately save Norwich’s season. Other investments, e.g. Milot Rashica and Josh Sargent, have been viewed as ‘flops’, with the newly signed pair making underwhelming starts to life in yellow.
The Canaries were favourites to face the drop at the start of the campaign and at this moment in time look as if they will. It will take a miraculous winning run from Dean Smith in the final run-in of the season, however we have seen the former Villa boss deliver something similar after taking the 18/19 Aston Villa team on a 10-game winning streak to finish in the play-off spots.
Norwich’s squad isn’t blessed with a wealth of quality and big name players of course, but there is definitely dashes of talent throughout the side, talent that has simply been on show too scarcely this year. The potential of Kosovan forward Milot Rashica upon arrival was a prospect that many NCFC fans drooled over, with the 25 year-old impressing for his nation and former side SV Werder Bremen over recent years. The former Villa target has been disappointing to say the least however, scoring only once and assisting on two separate occasions across the 27 appearances he has made for his side this season.
Elsewhere, Chelsea loanee Billy Gilmour has also been underwhelming in a yellow and green shirt, and has failed to fill the potential that he posed before the season’s start. The Scotsman looked set to be the spark in the Norwich midfield; orchestrating play and generating attacks, but this has simply not been the case.
Gilmour had a successful UEFA Euros 2020 for Scotland and impressed enough against an England side, who eventually reached the tournament’s final of course, to win the ‘man of the match’ award for his nation. The No.8 will return to parent club Chelsea at the end of the campaign frustrated however, as the young midfielder has failed to staked a claim for a place in the star-studded Blues squad for next season.
Despite major disappointments throughout the Norwich City squad, there have been a handful of impressive performers, including that of Norwegian midfielder Mathias Normann who despite facing injury absences, has looked good at the heart of the Canaries side and is a player who on his day can dictate the tempo of the game with the ball at his feet. Normann is a man who Steven Gerrard would have picked out to keep an eye on and the boss would have ordered his side to shut down the No.16 at every opportunity come Saturday afternoon.
The notorious Teemu Pukki has been a staple in the Norwich side all season and despite only scoring ten goals, always poses a threat upfront and can punish any team if presented with the right opportunity to score. The Finnish forward will be another player who Gerrard would have discussed with his side ahead of the fixture, with the 32 year-old scoring twice in his last three games and finding himself in some of his best form all season.
It will be another tough game nonetheless for Steven Gerrard and his inconsistent side, but a game that the boss will feel he should be capitalising on and coming away victorious.
Let’s find out how I view this upcoming fixture as I give some final thoughts ahead the game…
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite the necessity for Dean Smith and Norwich City to pick up what would be a vital three points, I believe Steven Gerrard’s men will be too much for the Canaries and the quality within the side will shine through, resulting in an resounding Aston Villa victory.
I believe the brilliance of the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey will be crucial in this affair to help to dissect the defensive lines of the Yellows, creating openings and opportunities for the likes of Ollie Watkins and/or Danny Ings in-front of goal. Once again, I would love to see Emiliano Buendía start against his former employers, and I believe this fixture presents itself as the perfect opportunity for the little Argentine to return to the side.
The team will certainly benefit from the utilisation of the No.10’s creativity and offensive knowhow, and the prospect that the former Norwich talisman could relegate the former Aston Villa manager’s new side is just written in the stars.
Of course, Dean Smith will demand that his team give it all they have with his side running out of time to put points on the board and get out of danger. Each member of the Norwich side will have to be on top of their game, and if anyone knows the weaknesses of this Aston Villa side, it is Dean Smith.
I am going to vouch for a comfortable 2-0 victory for the home side however, with Danny Ings to grab his sixth of the campaign and Jacob Ramsey to mark his new deal with a second goal of the season against this week’s opponents.
Let’s hope we can get back to winning ways and finish the season as high as we can. Up the Villa!
Liam
LIAM DAVIES | UTV PODCAST
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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