The first home game of the season is here! Aston Villa look to amend their mistakes from the opening day as they face Everton. Let’s catch up with Liam, and hear what he makes of the upcoming tie in pre-match thoughts…
GENERAL FEELING
Leading into Saturday’s game the general feeling is that of excitement. We are back at Villa Park: our fortress; our second-home! I will be making the trip to Villa Park, and I simply cannot wait to be back in the famous Holte End.
Additionally however, there is a slight feeling of nervousness. We all saw the reaction online post-Bournemouth, and if we were to lose again today – all hell would surely break loose. This reaction would be somewhat justified though – losing to a newly promoted side, followed by a defeat to a team who battled with relegation last season would be pretty worrying.
It is important to be supportive and bring the atmosphere from the second we enter the stadium. The players need to feel the emotion of the occasion, and we as supporters need to make them feel belief and faith.
I worry about conceding another early goal and the effect it would have on the Villa Park crowd. The atmosphere can turn toxic quickly around the ground, and Everton scoring first would certainly not help things.
Nonetheless, I am beyond excited to see the claret and blue boys back playing at Villa Park, and I know as soon as they step out on the hollowed turf that the 40,000+ capacity will be right behind them from the first whistle.
MATCH VERDICT
To begin, I believe the fixture will be tightly contested and I think both teams will be well up for it. Both Gerrard and Lampard will be hoping their side can bounce back after opening day defeats, and consequently, the upcoming tie at Villa Park should be a riveting one.
I hope that with the game being held at home, the players will be more confident and able to show off their expertise. I would like to see Emi Buendia start the affair, and I believe the number 10 could be impactful if chosen.
Philippe Coutinho is another name who could make a difference. Whilst quiet against The Cherries last week, the Brazilian is quite capable of producing something special and Saturdayβs game is the perfect opportunity for the former Barcelona man to deliver.
Could we see both Buendia and Coutinho from the get-go?
As mentioned, I believe the first goal in the game will be crucial. I hope that with the home advantage and the momentum that comes with it, it will be Villa that finds that opener.
A similar circumstance concluded last seasonβs game between the two teams, where a piece of magic from Matty Cash opened the floodgates and set Aston Villa on their way to a 3-0 victory.
Will we see a similar result again this time around, or can Frank Lampard inspire a better result for his side?
SCORE PREDICTION
Last week’s prediction certainly didn’t go to plan, and so this week’s will be carefully thought-out. I watched the full 90 minutes of The Villans against Bournemouth, as well as the full match between Everton and Chelsea.
I thought Everton looked good, given they had no out and out striker, a reasonably weak midfield and a frequently injured defence. I do put a large part of their spirited performance down to the fans and the fact that the fixture was held at Goodison Park. I believe the reason The Toffees remain in the division this year was down to the last-ditch efforts from the Everton faithful, and the support they provided towards the back end of last season.
With that said, they are of course away this weekend, and I believe the Aston Villa team will be hungry and determined to put things right after last week’s horror show. I think we’ll see a few positives changes based on the game at the Vitality Stadium; changes that I hope will make a difference.
I think the Merseyside Blues will give us a good game, and will be no easy feat. With that being said, I will go with a tight 1-0 home victory, with Ollie Watkins to return to the starting side with a goal. Come on the boys, and Up the Villa!
AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
MATCH PREVIEW
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