Chris Hughton on the Villa clash:
“It is a massive game for us because of the fact we are playing a team around us. So I suppose there is a little bit more significance on the game but the next three are big. I don’t think that cup tie has any bearing. Anyone who watched the away game would not dispute we were by far the better team on the day… Our home record is good but it will need to be because I’m quite sure that the Villa side will come as they have done away from home to try to win the game”
Lambert on looking forward:
“You let [the 6-1 victory] go as soon as it’s finished, I don’t dwell on it, it’s gone. We’ve got another three games to go and we’ll go and try to win the next one. The lads have hit really, really top form over the last few months and that’s the pleasing thing, they’ve grown with it.”
Match Difficulty Grade
B+ With spirits flying high around the Villa camp the fans in claret and blue will be eyeing a win here. Looking at Norwich’s home form, though, will tell you that Chris Hughton’s side will be aiming to cut short the Villa celebrations and secure Premier League safety for themselves.
Form is Temporary
Current Premier League form table (last six games) – Norwich City – 15th / Aston Villa – 7th
Norwich City: Last five Premier League matches at home: W 2, D 3
Aston Villa: Last five Premier League matches away: W 2, D 1, L2.
Last season Villa suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss at Norwich, though we did win 4-1 in the League Cup this season.
Facts to Sweep Under the Carpet
While the temptation to watch reruns of Monday’s 6-1 victory for the rest of the season remains, the fact is we are not safe yet. The team will be looking forward to continuing where they left off against Norwich but nobody has enjoyed visiting Carrow Road this season. Norwich might have won fewer games in 2013 than any other team, but they are unbeaten in their last seven home games. They’ll be looking to make up for their defeat to Stoke and will throw everything at Villa in this match, while Villa’s absent clean sheet count rises to 19.
What We Pray the Football Gods Will Provide
It would be nice to think Lambert knows the weaknesses of his old squad, but of course players change and Hughton will have his own methods in East Anglia. More importantly though if we could see a carbon copy of Monday’s awe-inspiring win then surely Villa fans would be booking new season tickets already. Even an ounce of the hunger and desire shown by Villa against Sunderland would be most welcome – lets hope we don’t see any signs of complacency.
Why Villa are Totally 100% Going to Win
Simple. Christian Benteke. While talks of a new deal crop up in the tabloids, the Belgian striker has excelled in recent weeks. Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have scored more than Benteke in 2013 – FACT. Swatting the club’s Premier League record to one side, he’s well on his way to topping Peter Withe’s 20 league goals in the 1980-81 season (when Villa won the title). We might not be challenging for the title these days, but if we see another dedicated performance from Lambert’s squad we will finally be able to relax and look forward to August. UTV.
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