Aston Villa: Don Goodman hits back at ‘harsh’ assessment with Birmingham City jibe
Don Goodman insists it is “harsh” to suggest Aston Villa have not turned up for some big games of late after their recent heavy loss to Tottenham.
The Villans squandered the chance to open up an eight-point gap on Spurs in the race for fourth place, only to lose 4-0 at Villa Park on 10 March.
Unai Emery’s men have since responded somewhat with a 1-1 draw at West Ham, which came after Spurs were beaten 3-0 away at Fulham.
Villa also lost to Manchester United and Chelsea – the latter in the FA Cup – in quick succession last month.
Aston Villa narrowly ahead of Tottenham in Premier League table
Going further back, a 1-1 home draw with Sheffield United denied Villa the chance to go top of the Premier League just before Christmas.
However, the Villans are fourth in the table for a reason, having picked up some crucial wins over the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
Speaking to Villa News, Goodman said: “They gave one of the best Premier League performances I’ve ever seen in beating Manchester City 1-0.
“They then followed that up by beating Arsenal 1-0, so to suggest they don’t turn up for certain big games? I’m not sure the motives of whoever has said that. Maybe it’s a Birmingham fan?
“It’s all about the day. They’re a competitive team and they do turn up. It’s a harsh assessment to make. You can’t play well every single game.
“By coincidence, some of the games you don’t play well in may be the ones you hope to have done better in, such as Sheffield United. But I don’t think it’s an issue.”
Aston Villa have Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool to face
The heavy loss to Tottenham was a tough one to take given the magnitude of the match and the fact that all eyes were on the Villans.
At the same time, Emery’s men have earned the right to have to occasional off-day. As Goodman says, you cannot play well in every game.
Villa have ultimately been the fourth-most consistent side in the Premier League this season, while at the same time going on a deep run in Europe, and are where they are in the table on merit.
Looking at the stats, Villa are eighth based purely on results against top-half sides, below the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Newcastle United.
With Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool still to play in the final stretch, Villa could do with pulling off one more surprise result.
If not, though, it is a case of simply doing as much as Spurs between now and the end of the campaign, and the Lilywhites themselves have a tough run-in.
By achieving that and finishing fourth, absolutely nobody can question the Villans – Birmingham fans or otherwise.
In other Aston Villa news, Ian Wright summed up Leon Bailey in one word as he predicted where the Villans will finish this season.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.