Match Day Thread Aston Villa v Norwich City

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Round 39
Aston Villa 2 - 0 Norwich City
FT
HT 1 - 0​

Attendance: 32,605

Referee: Jeremy Simpson
Assistant Referees: Nick Hopton & Nigel Lugg
Fourth Official: James Adcock

Date: 1st April 2017
Venue: Villa Park
Kick-Off: 03:00PM

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Match Preview here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39388977​

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Match Preview here:
http://www.skysports.com/football/a-villa-vs-norwich/preview/358566
​

Steve Bruce’s Match Preview

Steve Bruce previews tomorrow's game​

Bruce talks of the international break and that it came at the wrong time but the one positive is it has given a few players time to get fit again.

Preparation time, today is the first time he`s seen all of the returning players.

Bruce also says that Hepburn Murphy, Nathan Baker, Henri Lansbury are back training and should be fit for selection; and Jack Grealish played 60 mins for the U21`s.

Gabriel Imuetinyan Agbonlahor is also back in training.

Alan Irvine’s Match Preview

City's interim boss Alan Irvine gives his thoughts​

"Any team that goes on a really good run throughout April will find themselves improving their position considerably. It's certainly a month where you can make a huge difference."

"The players already believed that we've got enough points to play for to have a chance to get in the play-offs, even though we clearly need other teams to slip up."

"The Championship is a league where it's very difficult to forecast results. All you can do is keep on doing your job and if we win enough games to put pressure on teams above us, then we'll see how they cope with that."

"We've tried to do a lot of work in terms of when we don't have the ball.

"We're a team that scores goals and we've done that effectively throughout the season, so let's see if we can not concede so many goals."

"We have attacking players and I want them to be attacking players. We will play a team that will have the capability of going to score goals at Aston Villa."

"They're the form team in the league. They have the best record over the last six games. It's a really difficult challenge, it looks like the players they've brought in January have settled in."

Current Form (Last 6 Competitive Fixtures – Most Recent First)

Aston Villa

WWLWWW

A VILLA HOME

Aston Villa last kept a clean sheet at home 1 game ago.

The last 20 Aston Villa home matches have produced an average of 2.45 goals per game.

In their last 20 home matches against teams positioned in the top half of the table, Aston Villa have scored 0.9 goals per game and conceded 1.8 goals per game on average.

Norwich City

WDDLDL

NORWICH AWAY

Norwich last kept a clean sheet away from home 5 games ago.

The last 20 Norwich away matches have produced an average of 3.25 goals per game.

In their last 20 away matches against teams positioned in the top half of the table, Norwich have scored 1.0 goals per game and conceded 2.2 goals per game on average.

MATCH STATS: www.kickoff.co.uk

Match History

Aston Villa Wins: 30

Norwich City Wins: 19

Drawn Games: 16

Tomorrow’s match will be the 66th competitive meeting between the two sides with Villa boasting an impressive 30 wins to City’s 19, there have been 16 drawn games.

Villa have never managed to score more than four goals against the Canaries, they have however beaten City by 4 goals to 1 on no fewer than four occasions.

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City's Kevin Bond and Villa's Peter Withe 20th August 1980 League Division One, Villa Park​

The first time was on 3rd December 1962 in the 5th Round (Quarter-Final) of the Football League Cup at Villa Park, the second was on 30th April 1975 at Carrow Road in League Division Two, the third was on 11th December 2012 another 5th Round (Quarter-Final) League Cup tie and the fourth a Premier League home fixture on 2nd March 2014.

Although Norwich have only 19 wins against Aston Villa they have put five goals past the Villans twice.

Way back on 24th April 1937 in League Division Two at Carrow Road City secured their best ever win against the Midlanders thrashing their visitors 5-1.

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Ted MacDougall celebrates with fans after scoring for Norwich City vs Aston Villa on August 23rd 1975 ​

On 23rd August 1975 at Carrow Road in League Division One City were 5-3 winners with Ted MacDougall netting a hat-trick for the Canaries, this is also the highest aggregate scoreline to date.

Highest Aston Villa Score

Aston Villa 4 Norwich City 1
Norwich City 1 Aston Villa 4
Norwich City 1 Aston Villa 4
Aston Villa 4 Norwich City 1

Highest Norwich City Score

Norwich City 5 Aston Villa 1

Highest Aggregate (8)

Norwich City 5 Aston Villa 3

Club Connections

Those to have turned out for both the Villans and the Canaries include:

Malcolm Allen (Aston Villa loan), Ryan Bertrand (Norwich & Aston Villa loan), Mark Bunn, Peter Crouch (Norwich loan), Carlos Cuellar, Richie De Laet (Norwich loan), John Deehan, Dion Dublin, John Fashanu, Grant Holt (Aston Villa loan), Kevin Keelan, Henri Lansbury (Norwich loan), Alan Lee (Norwich loan), Chris Sutton and Andy Townsend.

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Kevin Keelan (blue jersey) started his career with Villa in 1960 and joined City from Wrexham in 1963​

Current Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce made 141 appearances for the Canaries scoring 14 goals.

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City pair John Deehan and Steve Bruce lift the Milk Cup aloft in 1985​

Ron Saunders who masterminded City's first ever promotion to the top flight in 1972 later managed Aston Villa

Paul Lambert spent three seasons with City guiding them to two promotions and a 12th place Premier League finish before leaving for Villa Park in 2012.

City’s current Academy Coach Richard Money also coached at Villa.

Former Villa boss Martin O’Neill also managed Norwich and had two playing spells at Carrow Road in the early 1980s.

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Martin O'Neil barks out instructions while manager of the Villa​

One time Canaries manager Bruce Rioch played 154 times for Villa between 1969-74 scoring 34 goals.

Much maligned ex Norwich manager Glenn Roeder now scouts for Aston Villa.

Ex City midfielder Tim Sherwood had a short spell as Aston Villa boss in 2015.

Did You Know?​

Aston Villa have played at Villa park since 1897 and were founder members of the Football League in 1888 and like Norwich founder members of the Premier League in 1992.

Villa are one of only five English clubs to have been crowned Champions of Europe, having won the 1981-82 European Cup.

Villa have won the First Division (top flight) title seven times, the FA Cup seven times and the Football League Cup five times and also the UEFA Super Cup once.

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Aston Villa's Brian Little tussles with City's Dave Stringer at Wembley in 1975​

Aston Villa and Norwich City contested the 1974-75 Football League Cup final with Villa winning the match 1-0. Although Kevin Keelan saved Ray Graydon’s 81st minute penalty kick, the Villa winger was able to fire home from the rebound.

TODAY'S TEAMS


Listen To Full Match Commentary
On BBC Radio Norfolk
95.1/104.4FM, 855kHz & DAB Digital Radio
With Chris Goreham

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And Guest Match Summariser Drewe Broughton

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....... And Don't Forget To Tune In To #canarycall
Post Match With Drewe & Rob Butler

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OT

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C
​

 

You're a star KIO!

Villa win for me. Got a bit of form, Irvine due a loss. We are away,

A comfy 2 or 3-0 I recon.

 

Sadly I agree

Bah!

 

Good soldier!

 

We will win this comfortably by at least a two goal margin

 

Brilliant thread Rich, I've gone for a City win too

 

Up to your usual standard KIO and i reckon we might sneak a point!?
Edit - with Hoolahan injured, I'm HOPING that Pritchard will start and JM just MAY get 15-20 minutes at the end!!!
PS - I HOPE that Naismith isn't even on the bench!!!!

 

Blimey Villa 5 wins from the last 6. It seems like only yesterday that people were saying look how little good a change of manager did them, hold on!!!

 

Am going for a city win today



...April Fools!

3-1. Not sure to whom though

 

We are dreadful away from home and Villa are on a great run.
This should be the final nail in the coffin this season.
If Oliveira hadn't got that red card against Rotherham I would of fancied our chances today but he did so I don't.

 

we've had a good break and some recoup time as a team, AI has yet to kick into 6th gear and the pressure and is on with the finish line in sight, today will tell us a lot about whether AI has got his team together and possibility he might be staying on, im going for win today against the grain of form, this is football after all..

Great thread again KIO lets hope the result reflects it. 2-1 to city im goin for

 

​

 

Could be AN picking the team!!!
He probably sends AI a text telling him what team to pick!!!!!

 

Nah - Naismith would start!

 

Great job KIO. Strange line-up with Dorrans coming in alongside Tettey and Howson moving forward. Good to see Maddison on the bench.

Away from home playing both Dorrans and Howson strengthens the midfield defensively while still giving good attacking options as well. That makes sense to me and it'll be interesting to see how it works.

 

Afternoon guys, team graphics added to the OP

 

Is Agbonlahor still at Villa ?
Probably hasn't scored since his last goal against us so due another?

 

barnsley scored in extra time

 

Wednesday giving choking out of the play offs a good go .
My logical brain won't allow me to get excited about away games 1 (one) away Victor in 6 (six) months is dreadful .
The 11 chosen today is not exactly encouraging our youth players or punishing our underperforming clowns that have failed to deliver .

 

We've hardly played any games under AI stewardship, its like starting from a blank page and upto the players at the end of the day, i hear what your saying but the non-defeatist in me says never give up, it aint over till the fat lady sings....