Friday night guys and I thought I'd get this post written. There was a burst of energy and I'm not sure if it's because I've had a G&T and I'm nearing the end of a very nice Italian red or it's actual enthusiasm for the match tomorrow.
And the match tomorrow will be seen by some as an easy one or one we should be winning. I look at it a little differently.
Luton, even though they sit in the bottom three, I think, will stay up. I'm not saying they will and there is a good chance they wont especially if you look at this with clear eyes. But there is something about Luton I like.
Maybe it's their manager or maybe it's that they have this attitude to the Premier League that just feels right. Maybe it's a bit of both. But I just like them.
And Nottingham Forest have Nuno now and even though we just beat them, I know he'll get them picking up points. And this isn't me saying both will stay up and Everton or Brentford will go down, but I just have a feeling it's not going to be Luton. And I write that feeling fairly certain Burnley and Sheffield United are done for.
It's going to be interesting at the bottom this season and that is why I don't think tomorrow is going to be as easy as some think. I think Luton is going to be a tough match.
Now, we could get it right very early and it works out as we want. Spurs could drop points and we go into the match with a little swagger and it catches us up. Or worse still, Spurs win and the pressure gets the better of us. There are a few factors that could impact what happens for us tomorrow.
That said and there is always a that said moment, this is the business end of the season and this manager knows what that is all about. And we have players that also know. We don't need eleven of them, we just need enough and those that can pass that on to others.
We have started to see that, I hope it continues. Until tomorrow.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Aston Villa are vying to record their second league double against Luton, having previously done so in the top flight in 1989-90.
- The Hatters have won nine of their past 11 home games versus Villa in all competitions, including each of the previous three.
- Villa's only match away to Luton in the last 32 years was a 3-1 defeat in the League Cup in 2016.
Luton Town
- The Hatters are at risk of four consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time since losing their opening four matches in August and September.
- Luton have been beaten in seven of their eight league matches this season against teams currently in the top six, with their only point coming in November's 1-1 draw versus Liverpool.
- They have scored in a club record 13 consecutive top-flight matches, last failing to net in a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on 11 November, and have scored in all but one of their Premier League home fixtures.
- Rob Edwards' team have scored 12 Premier League headers this season, a tally exceeded only by Arsenal.
- Carlton Morris can become the first Luton player to score in three consecutive top-flight home matches since Iain Dowie did so in four successive games in 1990.
Aston Villa
- Villa have only lost one of 15 league games this season against teams currently in the bottom half of the table (prior to the latest round of fixtures).
- They are vying to win three consecutive top-flight away matches for the first time in 13 months.
- Ollie Watkins has scored 14 top-flight goals this season, one shy of his career-best figure set in 2022-23. The only player to net at least 15 Premier League goals for Villa in multiple seasons is Dwight Yorke, who scored 17 in both 1995-96 and 1996-97.
- Each of Douglas Luiz's past 11 Premier League goals have been scored at Villa Park, with his last top-flight away goal coming in a 1-1 draw at Brentford on 22 April 2023.