Not a good day at Carrow Road—Villa had a chance to take advantage of Cardiff’s loss to Wolves and make a run at an automatic promotion spot Saturday. Instead, we fell to the Canaries 1-3, and sit seven points off second with five games to go. On this run of form and with our run-in, just staying in the playoff spots is going to take some work.
Villa’s best side were on display Tuesday night, and they got Villa back to winning ways. In style, even. Villa were quick, combative, energetic, and as free-flowing as we get.
That run-in thing didn’t get off to such a great start Saturday night, with Villa traveling to Hull and coming away with a perhaps fortunate point following a desultory 0-0 draw with the Tigers.
How big is this game? Potentially season defining, potentially relatively meaningless. Eleven games to go, and Villa sit third after a fairly tumultuous season, four points off automatic promotion. And I will say, it’s been season that’s given us more to anticipate and enjoy than we’ve had in years.
Sunderland host us tonight on the heels of two consecutive draws, and three in five sandwiching a couple of defeats. Steve Bruce has been respectful, and probably should be. The Black Cats may be sitting bottom of the table, but they’re got a lot to play for, and with Chris Coleman, no fool at the helm. Safety is not out of reach, and they’ll be wanting a result as much as we.
