Villa the victors
A Midlands derby with more than just local pride at stake as Aston Villa and West Brom lock horns in the first leg of this crunch play-off tie. The hosts are much fancied but they were unable to defeat The Baggies in the two league encounters - will it be a case of third time lucky on Saturday?
Not favourites? Who you kidding?
The mind games have begun. Villa manager Dean Smith has distanced his side from the tag of favourites and insists West Brom are more likely to progress to Wembley given they've just come down from the Premier League with a squad more than capable.
Smith moved to further big up The Baggies by rightly pointing out their near rivals finished comfortably above Villa and took 4 points of them during the course of the season.
While this may be true, there’s no denying the fact it’s Villa with the impetus and a distinctive energy about them at this moment in time.
West Brom may have finished higher but it feels as if they’ve readying themselves for the play-offs for an eternity, so much so they’ve almost gone stale. The two teams couldn’t be further apart in that respect.
Late season form to prove decisive
Results play a huge part in a team having a spark about it or being sapped of energy and this is evident when you look at the form guide.
Nobody generated more points (31) or won more games (10) than Dean Smith’s men in the last twelve, with that ten-game winning streak season defining and the main reason Villa find themselves where they are now.
In that amazing sequence were significant wins against play-off rivals Bristol City, Middlesbrough and Derby, in addition to the memorable derby win at Birmingham.
West Brom meanwhile, may have amassed 20 points over the same period but this was from fixtures against Rotherham, Hull and Preston where victories would’ve been expected.
When up against sides of any quality in Leeds, Bristol City or Derby, The Baggies came up short which suggests they’ve been a side just going through the motions for some time.
Team news
- The trio of Tammy Abraham, John McGinn and Jack Grealish will all be restored to the starting XI having sat out the meaningless final game of the season versus Norwich.
- Hal Robson-Kanu is out of contention following his dismissal against Derby, while Jake Livermore is rated as doubtful and Gareth Barry remains out injured after knee surgery.
Aston Villa vs West Brom betting tip
Villa are even money to head into the second leg in the ascendency, a result I’m fully expecting. West Brom appear fragile and uninspired and could end up being overpowered come the final whistle.
