The must win game we won the other day was very important and while not nice writing this next part, it has to be written, it wasn't convincing. And today we have another must win game. Must win because it was written by yours truly that we needed six points in December as a minimum.
In fairness, we should have got more than seven points in December if you look at the teams we have played but it is the minimum we need. And it turns out that it really is. Three points today could see us leave the bottom three and it would feel nice to start the new year not in the bottom three.
So things start to have to get better and if we're playing another side in the bottom three, if it doesn't look convincing, we're just papering over the cracks.
And that is why today is an important match. The wins are good and we need them, but we've got to start to see some performances and things have to look convincing.
Norwich highlights
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Aston Villa's solitary victory in their nine away games against Watford came in the Premier League in August 1999 (D3, L5).
Watford
- The four points earned by Watford in their past two league games is as many as they managed from the previous seven fixtures.
- The Hornets earned a first home league victory in 13 attempts by beating Manchester United in their most recent match at Vicarage Road.
- Nigel Pearson's side are vying to equal the club top-flight record of three successive home clean sheets.
- Watford haven't won their last league game in a calendar year since defeating Cardiff 4-2 away in 2014.
- They are unbeaten in each of the last 11 league matches in which Troy Deeney scored (W10, D1).
- Gerard Deulofeu has been directly involved in nine goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against newly-promoted teams, scoring six times and providing three assists.
Aston Villa
- Villa have the division's worst away record, accruing one win and four points. The 5-1 demolition of Norwich in October is their only victory in 27 Premier League away games.
- All but one of the 18 points earned by Aston Villa have come against sides currently 10th or lower in the table.
- The 23 goals they have conceded in the second half is the most by any side in the division.
- Aston Villa have won just one of their past seven final league games in a calendar year, beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship in 2017.
- Jack Grealish is the first Villa player to both score five goals and provide as many assists in a Premier League season since Gabriel Agbonlahor in 2011-12.
- Wesley has failed to score in each of his last 11 Premier League appearances. He didn't even have an attempt on goal in four of those 11 matches.