The biggest game of the season and once more, we have made things tricky for ourselves. In a tight first leg at City Ground last week, a handball by Lucas Digne was given as a penalty after a lengthy VAR check by some very incompetent officials to put it politely.
Chris Wood scored, and we go into the second leg at Villa Park, behind but certainly not out.
Last weekend then seemed like the perfect opportunity to get a win at Villa Park and virtually secure a place in the Champions League next season. It wasn’t to be. Seven changes were made and a dreadful performance against relegation threatened Tottenham Hotspur saw us slip to a 2-1 defeat.
By contrast Nottingham Forest also rang in the changes (8 in all) and got a great 3-1 win at Chelsea to just about secured Premier League Football next season.
We have never been the media’s darlings but this week talk from the press and some of our own fans on social media has been too excessive. Yes, the performance was awful last weekend and yes Forest have been in a good run of form but we have produced some fine home wins in the Unai Emery era.
Looking at this week’s Champions League semi-finalists, we’ve played 3 of them at home in the past 18 months and have beaten all of them. This contest is certainly not over.
And then looking back at our previous European results, we have lost the opening away leg and then progressed by winning the home leg on 3 occasions- the most famous was beating Inter Milan on penalties in 1994.
We have won the 2nd leg at home and not progressed on 3 occasions including two exits on away goals rule in the 90s and of course, the Champions League Quarter Finals against the defending Champions PSG.
Only once did we lose the 2nd leg at home after an away defeat and this was in our first European season- 50 years ago!
The squad is fully fit apart from long term injury absentee Boubacar Kamara and now his Midfield partner Amadou Onana, who picked up the injury in the first leg. Lamare Bogarde could possibly start although Douglas Luiz is another option.
Under Emery we have qualified for Europe three seasons in a row and look good for fourth. His full 3 seasons have seen the team make the Semi-Finals of a major competition each time. We have lost the previous two, will it be 3rd time lucky?
Can this team finally deliver some long awaited silverware? Or will it be another missed opportunity? One thing though, tonight the team needs you to be the 12th man. So let all fight like Lions and come together as one.
Up The Villa!
Special Thanks To Dan Lambert Photography for The Photo