Previews of Aston Villa matches, both competitive and non-competitive
So here we are, start of a new season, and this one’s full of hopes and expectations. Me, I’m cautiously optimistic. Which is probably what I’ll have put on my gravestone. As Emi Buendia’s injury illustrates, football can be cruel no matter how well you look to be set up. But. Emi’s only one player and Emery’s reaction has been excellent. Villa were never going to live or die based solely on Buendia.
Big games are all about mentality and belief. Liverpool may well view the match as a valedictory lap on their way to an inevitable Champions League spot. But if Villa internalize the positive elements the game holds for them, they can turn it into just another match, rather than a celebration. And that’s how you get a result.
No real changes today, but welcome faces await on the bench. A result gives Villa a top-10 finish for the first time in over a decade. A win, and Europe remains distinctly possible. It’s all to play for, as they say.
Wolves and Europe, yes. But perhaps the even bigger talking point is that Villa look set to land Mateu Alemany from Barcelona, and the press is wild with links to all sorts of players and lavish spending. No one in this side is safe even if they already speak Spanish. They should have something to prove today.
Villa likely need to take at least something today. A win would be fabulous, a draw might well do. The big thing is maintaining momentum and belief. At this point, it’s all about belief and desire.
