Data supplied by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. Select and manage your own team of stars at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ or with FIFA Ultimate Team for FIFA 14.
Whilst they will realise that they are playing host to the league’s form side, Villa will only be concentrating on taking all three points for the third time in four matches. The Birmingham based outfit has only conceded four goals in the last six outings, which was the platform for their early season success.
One man who has been key to this turnaround is the Villans’ shot stopper Brad Guzan. The USA international, according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, has averaged 2.6 saves per goal conceded, and will look to increase that ratio once more with a third clean sheet in Villa’s impressive seven game run.
Up top, Andreas Weimann still remains a big threat and great option for Villa, as the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index proves. The Austrian international forward has scored three times this season and his pace will pose a massive problem, having hit a top speed of 34km/h so far this season. He is 41/10 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
Another impressive performer so far this season has been Ciaran Clarke, as illustrated by the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index. The 25 year old Irish defender has made 12 tackles so far this season, winning 75% of them. He has also made 15 interceptions so far this season, illustrating his improvement in ability to read the play.
Last weekend saw Manchester United become the first team to claim six victories in a row, and this weekend will see them look to go for number seven. Their last six games have seen them score 13 goals and concede an average of a goal every other game, and they will look to keep that impressive form at both ends going.
At the back, David De Gea is a keeper in exceptional form and has played a big part in his side keeping three clean sheets in their six straight wins. According to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Spain international has averaged 2.76 saves per goal conceded so far this season, and will be looking to keep his sixth clean sheet of the season.
In the middle of the park, Juan Mata has started to really find his feet this season, as the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index demonstrates. Mata has scored his five goals from just 11 shots this season, converting 45.4% of his shots. He has now covered 131.78km and will look to out-run and out-maneuver his opponents once more this weekend.
Up top, Robin van Persie
has more than closed the door on his critics, as the EA SPORTS player Performance Index can testify to. Van Persie has taken his tally to seven goals for the season, also showing off his hard working nature by winning 71.4% of his 21 tackles so far this season. However, it is offensively where he is likely to have the biggest impact on the game, and he is 23/20 to score anytime with 888sport.com.
The Author
Matt Turvey
Matt is the owner of, and chief writer for, Aston Villa Life. He is also a columnist for the Wolverhampton Express & Star, appearing in the Kick Off pullout on Saturdays and the Final Whistle pullout the Monday after Aston Villa play, as well as every Thursday as a blogger on their website. He has previously been featured as a writer on Football365 and Life's A Pitch, and was a regular pundit for Sports Tonight TV on Sky.Comments 60
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Hello to all.
I think Lambert will play consevatively because he’ll be afraid of getting a real walloping. Be happy if I’m wrong. If we are to lose, it’d be better to lose while trying to win rather than going in with a defeatist attitude and losing anyway.
Enjoy the match.
UTV
late change to plans means I’m gonna miss this one until this evening, I echo trinitys sentiment lets go for it because they don’t like it up em mr manwaring.
pete lavender- your nothing to do with Pike form dads army fame are you mate? and a belated welcome.
Hello again At Villa now
Rekon it will be 532 from our tactical genius today. Hate it
Lamberk will be happy with a low scoring defeat
Grealish should start as a lot of our midfield players are out. We all know he won’t start though, he actually has ability
Wiemann and Gabby will grace the pitch yet again
frem
back to normal lambert going with hislove children vlar gabby wiemen back to
523
guzan
lowton
sissko
okore
vlar
clark
delph
sanchez
gabby
benteke
wiemen
perfect chance to give grealish bacuna run out
5 at the fucking back. Twat.
We will be so open in midfield
Grealish has no future
What do people think Lambert will play he has been the same since he arrived at VP nothing new today lets shut up shop and try to avoid a hammering, play for a 0-2 defeat and then say he thought we were excellent, no wonder the players will be off as soon as they can i would not want to play for this clueless twat,nothing but a defeat today.
AVFC RIP
Hello lads. Stuck in a Ripon car park waiting for the missus and kids to finish shopping. Going to miss the game unless I can find a northern radio station covering it. The good news is that every game I’ve missed this season we haven’t lost. Admittededly I don’t miss many games.
4 mins in commentators saying villa playing like away team .8mins in gabby simple pass to benteke wont do itwhy
Why,why,why,why,CNZ on ??????????????????
A game when you need 11 men working their gonads off,he brings on a player whose contribution to AVFC has been what exactly?.ABG,is the order of the day Anyone But Grealish.
Just baffled by his non use of subs,really can`t understand why Lambert wants to make life so hard for himself.
Meant to say 10 men working their gonads off,but you know what I mean.
good result awful sending offf
bacuna looked very good please please start him midfield
I remember the first time i saw Lee Mason ref, he was a winker then and he’s an even bigger winker now, we have the worst refs of any so-called major leagues but until we sort the bastards out the elite clubs will prosper.
Scabby is as much a problem as Lambert or Lerner, absolute crepe player who has far more influence than his ability and character deserve, he should have been booted two years ago but no-one would sign the tw@ now. Did i mention DUMB.
Still its a point more than i thought we’d get, gained by more good fortune than we deserved, we were excellent again i suppose, no dickhead, we should have lost by ten.
Steamer
I thought your post yesterday,the one where you refer to Pat Mathews was outstanding.Short,informative and bang on the money.No whinge just a fact or 2 with a concise summary attached,many thanks.
Cheating bastard Young
But straight away in the second half we Sat back. Every time we go a goal up its the same
Hate the formation though
Bacuna needs to start
Gabby needs to retire From football. Awful in every possible way
Decent performance, decent result.
Benteke. Your bloody class
THREE HOME GAMES WITHOUT DEFEAT!!
The game of so many questions…
1. The non-appearance of youngsters (except on the bench), despite RL’s statement…
2. WHY(my initial thought) did Lowton start. Then I later questioned why he only started covering properly once they scored.
3. What would Villa do without those three players from the low countries: Okore, Vlaar and Benteke. And Guzan.
4. How come the ref could not give a red to the Man U player for a challenge of little difference in intent to Gabby’s.
5. As for Albion last week, why did Villa start playing – and actually improved when Bacuna appeared – when they were a goal down. Delph’s game seemed to improve from that point I thought.
6. Why didn’t Bacuna start?
And I came to the conclusion that maybe Villa *are* better off without Gabby … and Weimann. Although I’d like to see Weimann in a striker’s role with CB.
And, yes B6, I agree… Bringing on Zoggy just didn’t make sense.
Well done Villa . Very happy with the overall performance , combative and in with a shout to the very last minute . More of that please and villa could be a decent upper mid table side who’s entertaining to watch.
John
Good points.
I`ve always thought Bacuna could develop,but he seems to have been pushed out.
Lambert seems to have blinkers on with regard to AW and Flabby,it`s always those 2 plus 9.Neither can be described as forwards,never mind strilkers,although AW is often pushed wide.Why do this when Bacuna or Grealish can play there?He has a blind spot with these 2.
Okore looks class.comfortable on the ball.Clark has suprised me this season,he has done well.
Can’t complain. Disappointed with the equalizer but great with 10.
Okore and Clark have been excellent
Lamberk has his favourites. Gabby is one who was getting so much abuse because hes shite. He played Wiemann in centre midfield ffs. Awful
Bacuna Benteke and Grealish need to be our front three but it will never happen with the berk
Thanks a lot B6B obviously you remember the good old days, shite but happy in the knowledge that better times were coming.
Agree with John, Flabby is a handicap, Weimann may not be much but he’s better than the new Heskey.
Bacuna, for me suits the r/m position, possibly Hutton overlapping may get in the way on occasions but they could sort that out no bother. Possibly a bit too adventurous for the Jock.
Yes, I agree about Clark, but also think that Sanchez is fitting in well.
For me, Okore and Vlaar are probably the best c-b combination, but there’s not a lot in it between any 2 combination out of those 2 and Clark.
Hi all, that cheating little c@nt should hang his head in shame. How can he walk down any street & not get abused after what he did. If I was a man u fan I’d say he is a cheating little C U Next Tuesday. Rant over
Quote: “Paul Lambert: Ashley Young told Aston Villa he fouled red-carded Gabby Agbonlahor – not vice versa”
See http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/paul-lambert-ashley-young-told-8324215
why is lambert so stupid
clark okore partnership was by luck but far and away the best we have leave vlar on the bench
match without cleverly or westwood we didnt pass sideways or back every time
sanchez looks good
BUT
gabby dont appeal red card we can live without him for rest of season
wiemen unless we are playing 442 don t play him
team for swansea
guzan
hutton
cissko
clark
okore
sanchez
bacuna
grealish
cleverly last chance
god n2 benteke
wiemen play alongside benteke not out wide mid up front
it easy lambert put players out that want to play
meant delphfor cleverly
Maybe the best thing about today is that Gabby will be banned for a few games. He & Weiman have zero composure on the ball, the amount of times that they had the ball in decent positions & shit themselves is beyond a joke, what do they do on the training pitch? 1 chance in the 1st half when all gabby had to do was pass to his right to put Weiman (I think) through clear on goal & he f@cked it up. Grealish on the bench with more skill in his haircut than gabby or Weiman could dream of. Lambert hasn’t a feckin clue.
costa del kieran
how many times has gabby the ball and not passed quickly enough especially to benteke,its now 17 matches 3 goals he needs a long rest
sounds like people have mixed views on the match. haven’t seen it yet so can’t comment. pleased to hear Sanchez and Okore are beginning to show their class, said pre-season they were be good buys as they had quality glad to see it rising to the top. wasn’t surprised that youth got to sit on the bench this manager has no imagination and a bucketful of caution. its fecking irritating as with a few tweaks and some nuts he could be so different with this squad. its seriously starting to be obvious he’s the limiting factor to real progress.
this league going into Xmas is the tightest I’ve seen in years a bad run and your bottom 5 material for so many teams its fun
Well, PL’s under instruction to keep things tight and to keep Villa up this season, by the looks of it, so perhaps it explains some of PL’s caution.
Having said that he can afford to tweak in a more +ve way.
Exactly James, in Lamberks eyes he can do no wrong. The man (PL) just has no balls, he will not take a chance on anyone untried, Nzog was again a waste of space.
excellent display by the whole team today, especially Okore, who got MOM,Clark, Vlaar and Sanchez were also on top of their game. Delph had a good game, but was also lucky not to get booked. The only person wrong with Gabby’s sending off was the ref, and Young was quick to point out that he was at fault and not Gabby….Another bad split second decision by a ref. Bacuna unlucky towards not to score the winner with a cracking shot. Guzan played out of his skin and dominated his area better than i have seen him do this season.
Lambert’s change in set up this week, looked a lot better, and the team always looked comfortable against Utd.
I do not see us struggling now. If he can keep this squad fit, they can see us through, and as things settle, I feel he may bring in Grealish more.
From the horse’s mouth in the Lion’s club…..”Showed a group of American Buyers round during the week” and another one Doug Ellis refused to negotiate with the Qatari’s as the know nothing about football and are only interested in money…..So they went off and bought Man City…..
I wouldn’t want to see the formation too often but I was relieved to see it today and as against man city last season it paid off again.
Anyone still want Ashley Young back?
Steamer, good observation. All their shots on target should have been goals plus a deflected own goal and none of our shots on target gone in. . . . Villa 0 Utd 10 it is then!
We need to keep delph. He and sanchez could give us a decent midfield which we aint had for ages.
Credit to lambert……okore, vlaar, sanchez, tekkers are very good signings.
It seems lambert has figured out we have to start playing football more……..now we need him to realis weimann and gabby could be more effective off the bench and use grealish more. If only we can get 10 or 11 points away from thebottom 3 theni can relax more but i dont think we will go down
watched the extended highlights, guzan did no more than Dhea has done for untied all season. not a terrible display against the millionaires and could of won it late on. lowton looked lost, gabbys sending off another poor snap judgement. clarke has been kidnapped and replaced with a footballer, impresses more each time out.that useless benteke only won us another point sell him 😉
Pretty decent outing, overall. Not a spectacular performance, but obviously good enough, and I appreciated Villa creating chances at the end, really had the opportunity to get all three points. They did sit back again, which I didn’t like, but United, for a team with six wins in a row, didn’t create a whole lot.
I agree Bacuna has looked good, and Okore is finding his feet fairly quickly. Lowton did look lost…he just doesn’t turn well. I also agree that Sanchez and Delph have the makings of an adequate midfield. It’s good to have Delph’s drive back, and Sanchez has added solidity.
yo boysss! whot a gwon!
as i sat here at 4 am listing to script for jesters tears (AMAZING FREE ON YOUTUBE), I AM STUCK
r we good or cack
sit here
hello all.again after while i is back
we r , dare i say it minutely, getting better. (and b4 any says i don know what am talking aboot, i am 40 so i remember sticky 2 fingers u 2 mancs and scousets under gregory, and by the way we have not been a good team since gregory. that 98/99
we still not awesome but we r getting better, i stopped stroking over grealish, others need to also, if managed right he could b the one, our neo , the one fook up the matrix,
but if a symptom of the universe, we will be but toys in the attic of a stargazer , so i surrender!
pop quiz guys and gals what are the songs and bands i just quoted or am i an atomic punk and runs with the devil?
p.s.
Whats this about a meet up ?
i am up It,
plus point agbong has to miss next game or 2. if there is a merit system ( common sense has to prevail here ) , this is jg / c robbo’s chance to shine?
Mark: that useless benteke only won us another point sell him 😉
Just to be serious for one moment … Towards the end, in a Villa breakaway, CB was unmarked on the left edge of the penalty area and was screaming for the ball. Bacuna, on the right, with 2 or 3 Man U players to feed the ball through, chose to put it close to the keeper and the ball went all the way through with CB just standing and moving when too late. If he had been into the box in anticipation he might well have scored. In fact, it was the kind of chance that Darren Bent would have scored from!
CB was the only player who put really worthwhile efforts on goal yesterday, no doubt, and he is a real asset. But the times I think that he’s bloomin’ lazy and just will not put himself in when poachers’ chances become available.
He was still arguing with Bacuna at the end of the match – presumably claiming that Bacuna didn’t put it to his feet.
John Clark: I also agree that Sanchez and Delph have the makings of an adequate midfield. It’s good to have Delph’s drive back, and Sanchez has added solidity.
Yes. But there’s still a lack of creativity to my mind. With Bacuna in as well perhaps we’d create more.
Andrew: Credit to lambert……okore, vlaar, sanchez, tekkers are very good signings.
Agreed. But when they’re not available, what do we have?!
Actually, with Clark also playing up, and Hutton and Aly looking OK at full-back, we do have a half-decent team.
But where is that creativity ….? We do have to score (more) to win games.
RoBBo
Slight exaggeration meant nine.
Someone should tell Lee Mason that Ferguscons no longer manager at Untied and its now not compulsory to give them every decision.
One of the dog walkers told me that Masons last three sending offs have all been recinded, the last one never even went to appeal, this is the type of knob we have in charge of multi million pound squads, he may be well paid but he’s still an amateur.
lowton has gone back like a few players,but all our fullbacks because the system lambert plays are always under pressure lowton lighai bacuna hutton bennet stevens clark baker luna bertrand cissko that 11 fullbacks in about 104 matches none really shone ,needs to forget about 433 523 either 442 or 352 and not both gabby wiemen in one team from the off ,stick wiyh clark okore noticed vlar holding back of his leg couple times yesterday give bacuna grealish some game time bacuna shot and cross where more than zog all season
JL- the point benteke was making was when he was in acres of space and bakuna and nzogbia had drawn the defence to them why didn’t he dink it in for tekkers to run onto for a header or bring down and shoot in space? if untieds young had spotted rooney in the same position and rooney had ghosted in and scored we would be lamenting why can’t we do that? the reason is our players don’t look up much and see the opportunities soon enough. yes tekkers could of scored if he had kept running, the fact the ball squeezed through was quite lucky but yes he could have scored and was to busy being pissed off. benteke plays with some real talent for Belgium who see things differently, I’d wager grealish in that position would of picked him out. tekkers for me is probably the most complete forward in the league, strong on the ball, good in the air, can see a pass, makes good runs and creates for himself and scores clever goals like yesterdays. no he’s not the finished article but 11/2 years of injury woes have held him back IMO. darren bent would of probably already made the run nzogbia did but better
hello roger- if we have a meet bring some of what your on mate 😉
James- I don’t think Lowton has ever been a good defender just a good crosser of the ball, in the lower leagues a stand out in this one a liability. possibility of converting to right mid but his positioning and pace are not great.
Well it’s taken The Berk long enough to get Okore playing hasn’t it. He said he wants to leave in Jan a few weeks back. Hope it changes now
Sissy is pretty useless ain’t he. Can’t attack, can’t really defend either. I’d play Bacuna LWB if we keep playing 5 at the back, which I hope we don’t
We’d be such a better side without Gabby and Wiemann in the side. I haven’t seen two worse footballers all season. Bacuna, Grealish, Johnson, Gardner,Robbinson. They could all take up there role and we’d be so much better for it
Media saying we want to waste 8 mill on Cleverly. Oh dear Oh dear
Mark ,
Benteke has come back from injury a better all round player . I did’nt see the creative side in him before but he actually has alot more awareness than previously given credit for . Yeah , he could have followed the ball in but had the nzogbia cut that ball back to Benteke , it would have been a champions league quality goal . It shows that the villa players are actually thinking rather than fire-fighting all the time . Very happy with villas performance yesterday even if we had lost. The desire to win the match even with a man down was very evident to see . I did’nt rate sanchez until yesterday ,but midway during the second half , when we were supposedly under the cosh, he chested a ball down in front of him and without breaking stride switched it to the right wing , broke through a late tackle and continued up the field like a train in support of the winger. These are good signs . Perhaps cleverly and westwood are not the answer , villa moved from back to front with purpose yesterday.
Well done yesterday Villa , proud of my club today.
I think yesterday set up was either to counter manures wingbacks or the fact he knew we would be weak in a back four with lowton playing. if so why play weiman in front of him? watched the highlights can’t remember lowton getting forward once. big plus for me is Sanchez can play that solitary defensive mid very well so we don’t need 2, which means we can afford a more attacking player. also noticed Lambert switched to a back four with clarke left back to push us back up the pitch , which worked. bacuna gave us a threat on the right nzogbia a free role and we could of won it. surely Lambert has to see there is a better way to play? glad he actually went for it at the end but as usual he had it arse about face and invited pressure without a threat bar the counter.
hello prox- Sanchez is still adapting to the pace, occasionally he will take to much time, was wondering if under that afro he’s got his dr dre’s on listening to the theme from shaft, at other times he sprays the ball beautifully and is very aware defensively. we probably need a westwood type in there but not as an additional defensive mid. its when you add cleverly and weiman and gabby dropping in the whole mid loses cohesion and becomes too tight. its good to cut down their passing space but restricts our own too IMO.
Mark: …yes tekkers could of scored if he had kept running…
That’s the point … you don’t stop until the whistle blows, right? There’s no point jumping up and down as though you’ve lost your dummy, for goodness sake! 😉
JL- this is 2014 John and tantrums, diving and petulance are a finely honed skill 😉
One thing was established from the game yesterday, the club doesn’t need to waste 8m on Cleverley and neither does it need Westwood. Strange that Lamebert wants to sign MF’s when we have one forward worth his salt. The most negative manager in the Universe.
Mark,
If Bent can do it (poach goals) then so can Bent-eke! 😉
Steamer,
We still have to get the ball to that feller, right? 😉
Mind you, a feller with your skills would surely be a good signing …!
If we spend 8 mill on Cleverley I’ll give up. He’s a free agent in the summer FFS and isn’t even worth 8 quid
One thing obvious from yesterday is Bacuna has to start games ahead of Wiemann. Lamberk playing g him centre mid took the piss even more than the Berk normally does. He’s a poacher, nothing else so don’t plAy him on the wing or in the centre of midfield.
January we need to sign a winger to play with Grealish. A number 10 yet again cus Cole ain’t going to be playing much which is a shame because he is great against Burnley
Frem,
You must read some sh**e papers. If we buy Cleverley, the money we pay is £4million, but I am not sure he is worth that, but he could be a good buy, but we will not afford him ,if it goes to the end of the season, and he is on a free.
Bent scored again, and I am sure he could be putting more away, if he was up front with Benteke.
just been watching Villa beat united 3-2 in Nov 1976, when we had a real centre forward who had no fear….Andy Gray….Young player of the year…and Player of the year…look for the video on Utube…Carrodus, Cropley Little Mortimer..Gidman.Graydon…Budgie Nicholl…a team of Villa legends….and I had the privilege to be there…!!