Well there’s only one thing to say about the forthcoming Hull City clash…get some bloody shots on target! Only one at home against Leyton Orient in midweek was shocking and adds to the statistic of Villa actually only having three shots on target in total in their last five games.
If the club want bums on seats at Villa Park, it’s about time there was some proper football to watch.
With a very tough run of games to come for Villa, three points against Hull would be very welcome indeed. UTV
Lambert on Villa’s start
‘We’ve started really well in the league and we have to try and continue that. If we can win, we would have taken seven out of a possible nine. That would be a really good start. We have to try and win, we’re certainly playing well enough.
“Villa have had a decent start and they’ve brought one or two back in like (Alan) Hutton and (Charles) N’Zogbia – players who were in the shadows for a long time. They had a poor result in the cup midweek, but they changed their team around a lot for that one. We know how difficult it will be.
Bruce states the obvious
“It will be difficult, just like any away game in the Premier League. If we can get something at Villa, we’ll have five or seven points on the board and that would be a wonderful start.”
Memory Match
3rd May 2014 – Aston Villa 3 Hull City 1
The Holte End celebrated the 20th anniversary of the old Holte being knocked down to turn it to an all-seater stand. The buoyant atmosphere lifted the team, who scored in the first minute and went on to win a game that made sure they avoided relegation.
Villa – Last five matches at home: W 1, D 2, L 2
Hull – Last five matches away: W 1 D 1 L 3
Villa have won all three top flight games between the two teams, all have which have happened in the Premier League in recent years. After shocking away form last season, Hull managed to win their first away game against QPR this season.
One to Watch
Tom Ince – with Robert Snodgrass likely to miss the game, it could present another new boy, one time potential Villa target Tom Ince, with a chance to make a name for himself.
Facts to Sweep Under the Carpet
Steve Bruce has certainly regenerated Hull City into a decent outfit and has spent wisely in the transfer window drafting in the likes of Snodgrass, Ince, Dawson and making a nice profit on Long. In the mid-week Europa League game Bruce rested the likes of Tom Huddlestone, Nikica Jelavic, Andrew Robertson and Tom Ince, obviously focusing on the trip to Villa Park. Hull are unbeaten so far and will be a tougher test than last season at Villa Park.
What We Pray the Football Gods Will Provide
First off, hopefully Vlaar and Cissokho will be fit and Villa put in another disciplined defensive display; they’ll have to considering Villa have only mustered a total of three shots on target in their last five games. It’s an astonishing fact that needs addressing asap.
So lets hope for a more fluid Villa going forward. The key no doubt will be Delph driving the team forward. Hopefully he’ll be set free by Sanchez playing alongside him in midfield and inspired by his England call-up.
Villa’s match before their tragic shooting form of their last five games was against Hull. In that game they managed nine shots on target. Hopefully, we’ll be peppering their goal once again in a similar fashion.
Why Villa have got this game in the bag
For once Villa go into a game with the stats favouring them. The last time Hull City won at Villa Park was in 1967 and Villa have won eight out of the last nine games (8W 1D) in all competitions. Hull’s record is so bad against Villa that Jordan Bowery’s own goal was their first goal in nine games against Villa. Luckily Villa sold him in the summer, so it’s hard to see where their goal threat will come from this time!
Although they rested five or six players for their Europa League game on Thursday, they chased that game for over 70 minutes with ten men.
It’s also a good time to play Hull as they haven’t really re-invested the bonus £12 million they got for Shane Long, especially with the rumours that suggest Bruce is looking at Villa nemesis Rafael Van Der Vaart.
Hull City also recorded the second most away defeats last season with 13.
PS – Not sober while writing this, so excuse any typos.
