Aston Villa had a torrid end to 2010 by first losing manager Martin O’Neil, amid claims of a disagreement over a lack of financial ambition from Randy Lerner, and then slumping towards the lowly depths of the Premier League relegation zone. It must have been a demotivating time for Villa fans with an owner who seemed to have just small-scale goals.
This was all until a few days ago when Lerner and new Manager Gerard Houllier slapped a huge £24 million on the table in a move for proven Premier League goalscorer Darren Bent. With further transfers reportedly on the cards, things could be looking up for Villa. This double Gameweek could be just the right opportunity to get their season back on track and for Fantasy Managers to suddenly take notice once again.
The Opponents
Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City are the first of Houllier’s opponents. City who are currently sitting in second in the Premier League, bring their decent away record (W6 D3 L2), fantastic current form of 4 wins in their last 5 Premier League outings and, of course, their wealth of attacking talents including new striker Edin Dzeko. They also have the best defensive record away from home this season, conceding just 9 goals on their travels.
The second helping of Villa’s double Gameweek will be a crunch clash away at Wigan. The Lactics currently sit exactly on par with Villa, both teams have 22 points in the Premier League and have a goal difference of -15. Wigan have scored just 11 goals in 12 home fixtures so far this season and coupled with the fact Villa have managed just 9 goals on the road, the statistics certainly point to a low-scoring relegation scrap then.
Current Form
Villa are truly in shocking form at the moment and have managed to pick up just 2 points out of a possible 15 in their last 5 games whilst conceding 11 goals in the process. This has been the story of their season so far – the combination of defensive frailties and misfiring forwards has led to them net just 24 goals, while 39 have flown in at the other end. But with the introduction of Darren Bent and the Chairman’s obvious drive and willingness to splash the cash, Villa’s season could be on the verge of a dramatic u-turn.
Rotation Risk
Villa possess a wealth of options in midfield and apart from Stewart Downing, Stiliyan Petrov and Ashley Young, who are likely to feature in both fixtures, any of Marc Albrighton, Nigel Reo-Coker and Barry Bannan could alternate and earn starts. Although currently out of favour, Houllier can also call upon Robert Pires, Stephen Ireland and Jonathan Hogg, if need be.
In attack it would seem that new boy Darren Bent is set to start both matches and if Houllier packs the midfield with five players, with Ashley Young playing in the hole, then Gabriel Agbonlahor might have to settle for a bench role with Emile Heskey suspended and John Carew farmed out to Stoke on loan. Heskey will however be available for the trip to Wigan.
Potential Targets
Neither of Villa’s fixtures look likely to bring them big returns. Villa have the chance of defensive points at Wigan but look likely to concede to City at Villa Park. Equally goals look likely to be a premium in both fixtures, but we’re tipping a couple of strikes across the two games, with perhaps a defeat and a draw coming Villa’s way.
Darren Bent
The spotlight is firmly on Bent and it’ll be very interesting to see how his career at Villa Park starts out. After transferring to Sunderland, around 18 months ago, he couldn’t have asked for a better initiation into life in the North East as he scored 4 goals in his first 5 games. Villa fans will be hopeful that Bent can find this kind of form once more. So far this season Bent has hit the back of the net 8 times and notched up 79 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points – reasonable but disappointing given the heights of his 24-goals last season.
Predicted return: 1 goal
Marc Albrighton
Although the youngster may not start both of the double Gameweek fixtures, he will surely play some part in each of them and priced at just £4.6 million, he could be worth the risk. He has certainly proved his potential this season and lived up to the hype that has surrounded him by finding the back of the net on 4 occasions and assisting 5 goals, a tally far greater than Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey, John Carew and Nathan Delfouneso put together.
Predicted return: 1 assist
Stewart Downing
With rumours of a move rife amongst the mainstream media, Downing certainly has something to prove to both Villa fans and possibly his potential suitors. He is Villa’s top scorer this season, finding the back of the net 5 times and has managed to assist others on 3 instances. Certainly one of the team’s most creative and attacking prospects, Downing looks to be enjoying his run of injury-free playing time and his assist count should profit from Bent’s arrival.
Predicted return: 1 goal
Ashley Young
Ashley Young has arguably been one of Villa best players in their so far modest season and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the FPL bonus points judges who has dished out 13 his way, the highest at the club. Like Downing, Young has played a vital role in providing and creating opportunities and this has seen him assist 5 times. If Darren Bent lives up to his transfer fee then Young’s assist contributions will surely benefit.
Predicted return: 1 assist
James Collins
Although the Villa backline has been rather inconsistent, James Collins has provided some much needed no-nonsense strength. The defender has picked up 9 bonus points and on two occasions has chipped in with a goal, including one last weekend in the Second City Derby. If you’re looking at the Villa defence then Collins looks the best prospect, with Kyle Walker perhaps the budget option to consider at 4.0.
Predicted return: 4 Played points
