Derby day for Villa

Friday, 26/08/2011

by Steven Green, Shoot's Aston Villa blogger

With Villa’s first derby day of the season coming up many will be feeling those all too familiar anxious feelings will be creeping up on fans.

Wolves will be the visitors to Villa Park, the first time in a long while that we are hosting our neighbours first, usually we have to endure the short journey to Moleneux, St Andrews or The Hawthorns before we get to see these games on home soil.

Although, I, like many others, will be feeling slightly uneasy about this fixture, one can’t help but miss the all out excitement and buzz felt when we play Birmingham City. There’s no doubt that Wolves and Albion up their game against Villa but they lack the bite, the venom and animosity that exists between the second city neighbours.

Unlike many other derbies where it’s accepted that either side could win it (think games between the Manchester sides and Liverpool sides), Villa are expected to win, just one of the burdens of being the top side in the Midlands. Knowing that the other Midlanders step up during these games leaves you sure that a rocky afternoon is in store.

Villa will be hoping that Gabby Agbonlahor will be fit, last weekend against Blackburn he looked sharp and energetic, capping off his performance with what is an early contender for goal of the season. Even Emile Heskey took his goal well and played well.

There has been a worry this week that the midfield will be shy in font of goal but last week they showed they were capable of keeping and passing the ball better than they had under the previous two managers. If they can keep that up then the revitalised strikeforce will no doubt do the business.

This fixture last season was one of the worst seen at Villa Park for a long time, hopefully the players can use that memory as motivation and put the memory to bed and continue the fine start the club has made.

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