Just one game in the Premiership this weekend, with Young nudging Capello with another eye-catching performance – capped by a curling free-kick strike. At the other end Santa Cruz found the net on the road for Rovers yet again. Here’s my notes on yesterday’s game…
Aston Villa 1 Blackburn 1
Villa welcomed skipper Barry back from a pelvic injury and he took his place in midfield with Gardner dropping to the bench. Carson came back in goal for Taylor after being ineligible against Liverpool. Elsewhere Villa were unchanged with Mellberg at right-back, despite speculation on a imminent move to Juventus.
Young’s goal was his first in ten games, however, in that time he has notched up six assists and has earned five FPL bonus points to keep his tally ticking over. He’s now outscored Agbonlahor in fantasy games and is either cheaper or classed as a midfielder, reinforcing his value to fantasy managers. He will however miss Villa’s next game at Fulham through suspension. Villa will miss him badly on this evidence.
They failed to get going in this game, creating little until O’Neill put Harewood on for Petrov and shifted to a three pronged attack. That at least prompted chances and in the end Harewood could have won the game – strking the bar with a header from another superb Young delivery from a free-kick.
Blackburn were without their skipper Ryan Nelson who is being forced to rest a recurring hamstring injury. Emerton came in at right-back, allowing Ooijer to shift alongside Samba in central defence. Derbyshire started up front after his goal against Boro, with Roberts joining McCarthy on the bench.
Rovers could easily have sealed three points here. Derbyshire’smissed penalty, saved by Carson after Bentley had been fouled, should have set them on their way. As it was Hughes’ side still went in front here with Santa Cruz, scrambling home the rebound after Dunn’s shot was pushed away by the Villa keeper. That was the Paraguayan’s seventh goal in his last eight Premiership appearances – all of which have come away from Ewood. His last goal at home for Blackburn was back in mid-October.
Indeed Blackburn’s away form is strong. Just one defeat in the last five with an average of two goals per game on the road. Only Villa themselves have scored more on their travels in the last five. In contrast, at home Rovers are still struggling – it’s just five goals in the last five home games, although they’ve conceded just four goals in those games.
Bentley and Santa Cruz continue to offer value then away from home. Blackburn however, face Everton at home and then travel to the Emirates – not games you’d fancy Blackburn in. Having said that, with both first choice central defenders out of those games – Samba through suspension and Nelson through injury – they are likely to need to push forward for goals to get anything out of them.
Injuries and Suspensions
Samba picked up his tenth booking of the season here and will now face a 2-match ban, missing games against Everton and Arsenal. That means that Khizanishvili will partner Ooijer in central defence with Nelson out with a hamstring injury.