Aston Villa travel to St Mary’s this Wednesday to face a strong Southampton side. Southampton are currently the surprise of the season with the team sitting in seventh place in the table. It’s been a much improved campaign for the Saints, last season Southampton were in a relegation battle, today they are chasing a spot in Europe. Southampton’s current success is similar to Aston Villa back when Martin O’Neill was in charge of the Villains.
Southampton have lost there last two games to Arsenal and Chelsea, so they should be fired up this evening in an effort to gain some much needed points. Aston Villa have tied their last two games, once coming behind against West Brom to tie 2-2 and most recently a very disappointing draw against last place Sunderland. Aston Villa have been a much better side away and this game could prove to be a little more comfortable.
Mauricio Pochettino: “We don’t have time to dwell on our two consecutive defeats because we are only thinking about tomorrow’s game. We have lost on two very difficult grounds at Arsenal and Chelsea, so now we will try to impose our values and get the win over Aston Villa. I am expecting a physical game. Aston Villa are a strong side and very good on the counter-attack, especially away from home.”
Paul Lambert: “We are 11th and there are some big clubs below us. The crazy thing is we’re just five points off Tottenham, who are regarded as one of the ‘big ones’. The game on Saturday wasn’t great entertainment, put it that way. And we were the home team. But you’ve got to have a bit of realism.”
Team News:
Southampton are without number 1 keeper Artur Boruc who broke his hand last weekend. Additionally, back up keeper Kelvin Davies is also out injured so Pochettino will have to call up third keeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Morgan Schneiderlin has picked up a groin injury and trio Gaston Ramirez, Danny Fox and Guly do Prado are also unavailable.
Lambert will assess the fitness of Austrian striker Andreas Weimann after the forward experienced a tight hamstring injury. Paul Lambert has no other fresh injury concerns.
Match Facts:
Rickie Lambert scored three goals in the two Barclays Premier League meetings with Aston Villa last season.
Aston Villa have drawn the most away matches in Premier League history (129) including the last three in a row.
The Saints have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League games at St Mary’s (W6 D4 L1), including winning the last four in a row.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have conceded just one goal in their last five Premier League home matches.
In Villa last 10 Premier League games they have either kept a clean sheet (five times) or conceded exactly two goals (five times)
Predicted Lineups:
Gazzaniga
Clyne-Lovren-Fonte-Shaw
Wanyama-S. Davies
Llana-Osvaldo-Rodriguez
Lambert
Agbonlahor-Kozak-Albrighton
Delph-Westwood-El Ahmadi
Luna-Clark-Vlaar-Bacuna
Guzan
Southampton 1-1 Aston Villa
No benteke?if we play again like sat we’re in for a good taitering.it’s away & they have injuries but im going 2-1 saints unfortunately.
Disagree giddy think we will win 2-1 cause Southampton have injuries and are awful at defending corners
I hope so ooha im still disillusioned after sat shambles.i know its away but im still not convinced yet.
Southampton have been punching well above their weight and the bubble may have burst so we are probably playing just at the right time, first choice keeper out injured and on the back of two defeat.
2-0 to the mighty Villans.
Our away form is good…..but so is their Home form. Yes they have injuries but the XI they can still field is still superior to ours (well whats been put on the top of the thread anyway). If we win it will be a very hard fought 3 points…….or perhaps a dodgy pen to continue our trending luck….Fingers crossed but I cant see it.
I think the formation will be 4-4-2. Guzan
Bacuna,Vlaar,Clark,Luna
Tonev,Westy,Delph,Gabby
Benteke. Kozak
To win we will have to score early and definately keep a clean sheet.Failure to keep a clean sheet could end with a saints win.Tough to predict as my head tells me otherwise so I won’t say.Heart goes for a villa win…..Goodluck Godspeed AVFC UTV
There is NO way that Benteke will be left out (unless he has a slight injury)….it was his birthday yesterday and he WILL celebrate with a goal. I am going for the same score as the Baggies match…2-2
Expecting to lose this. Every time I have seen Southampton play they have pressed the opposition and I don’t think we can cope with that. We will need to take the opportunities we get on the counter, but with a misfiring forward line I am not hopeful.
Really hope I’m wrong but the teams at the bottom seem to be getting their act together a bit, so 3 points to keep us away from there would be most welcome.
I think 3 points tonight would be a massive achievement against Southampton and a big step up for AVFC we will be about 2 or 3 off spurs
Jd i wish i had your optimism mate,the saints are getting alot of praise off pundits for their work rate over the 90.i do hope we get 3pts.utv
A draw for me, 1-1 as giddy saying take a while for me to get over saturdays game,anyone know where its on the box?….
Bill you’ll probably find a live stream somewhere on the net but failing that MOTD is on at 22:35.
Cheers Bill, i dont seem to get a stream since p2p got stopped tried many times to get one.
I can reccommend a site but only if agreed by the admin. i don’t want to get the site in trouble
Never mind jaymo83, I did try sopcast but got a load of shite with it, took me 1/2 hour to get it off. Will watch BBC later.
I use one site in particular, they always have minimum 4 links for each game. The best one is broadcasted from Aljeezera.
Hi bill if feel saints have upped their game & we’re too hit & miss.if we pull it off tonite then lamberts got to question his whole approch at home mate.
We have beaten Arsenal and Man city this season so we can beat Southampton.
“We are 11th and there are some big clubs below us”
Can someone please tell who these BIG clubs below us are….!!??
I am in the PL camp still but FFs don’t mug us off with rubbish like that..
Not forgetting the classic line ” But you’ve got to have a bit of realism.”
And expecting to beat bottom of the league Sunderland at home is unrealistic?
Instructed by Lerner to lower our expectations…as if we havent had to lower them already!
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS!
Lionheart…agreed mate. That is an embarassing statement. Perhaps he has thrown the towel in. The ‘big clubs below us’ statement is worrying. Have we really fallen that far….fucking hope not! …..but we could well do if Randy doesnt loosen the purse strings by the start of next season!
Fuck off Lerner, the Villa is OURS!
We are what we are a young side growing into the premier league apart from the orig players.Im not into this we should be at the top because we are a team of past glory not present.We have been struggling via what ever situation you wish to blame.Im into seeing how far we can go with Lambert.We can go 10th tonight if we win and move comfortably up the table.Lambert only came a season and a bit ago.Hence the realism quote UTV
Another one under the Lamberk/Lerner spell. What’s this ‘young team’ you talk of? How many teenagers have we got in our starting 11? This is Lamberk’s team now, they are his players and I don’t believe he could motivate a fish to swim, the mumbling fool.
Whilst I agree with what you’re saying JD, the players that are any good are expected to be sold on – Now in a business world that’s great.
If they are sold on, how do we then move forward with building a squad for the future if new players keep coming in/out, especially when, in reality, most of the players we have now aren’t looking like they are going to ever cut in amongst the cream of the Premier League – Thus saying we are always going to be aiming for a mid table finish at best if they continue this approach. I struggle to see the ambition in that.
I can only pray that our better players stay for years to come while finding some gems along the way as well as buying real talent……By the way, did you see that pig fly past the moon last night??
Id be well happy to get 4 points in the next 3 games….Anymore is a bonus
Benteke being sold on is pure speculation ATM UTV
Lamberts gone 3-5-2
Guzan, Bacuna, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Agbonlahor, Kozak
Subs: Steer, Lowton, Albrighton, Sylla, Tonev, Benteke, Weimann
Does anyone else feel as though our bench is better than our starting 11? Not sure how we’re going to score in this one. Lambert going for a 0-0 draw I suppose
We be under the cosh with that team tonight saints will walk it 4 0
I don’t think it will be 4-0. But 2-0 seems more plausible.
I’m down to see Kozak playing, but with no support from Albrighton there isn’t going to be a goal tonight for Aston Villa unfortunately.
Good think I only bet a few cents on Villa.
Well it gives me satisfaction to see he’s noticed crap play on Saturday, any other time he would not bother to drop major players.
Dropping Benteke was a good move in my opinion.
I’m sure he’ll come on in the second half at some point and may prove a point
nice 2 see everyone’s still in the doldrums 🙂 lol ~ my pint pots half empty aswell
but all the doom and gloom will be gone 2morrow with ur short sighted views
villa are in 4 a tough evening but saints are not unbeatable so I will go for a villa away day delight
2 ,1 villa 🙂 cheer up 4 feck sakes