Luton vs Aston Villa: They’ve Gotten Better

While not exactly cranking out the wins, Luton Town have started making it very hard going to play against them. So here we are, the proverbial banana skin that isn’t really a banana skin because every manager will tell you there are no easy games.

Doesn’t mean there aren’t games that break wide open for you, or those where the opponent is committed to having a poor day. But by and large, there aren’t any matches you can bank as wins without expecting to be challenged. For Villa on the day, this is simply about whether they’re once again up for the desperation of the danger zone as the season ticks ever closer to its end.

Course, would’ve and probably did say the exact same about Forest, and their first-half timidity is the flip side: sometimes the pressure shows in hesitance, being afraid to overcommit or make a mistake, that kind of thing. And as we saw, it only takes a half to dig yourself a hole when the opponent, Villa, is poised to take full advantage.

So, no idea what to expect today. I’m assuming it’ll be scrappy, that they’ll be in our faces trying to force the issue. They’ve lost their awe of the league’s heavyweights and will see Villa as beatable. They’ve put four past Newcastle and Brighton, took United to the wire. They’ve also lost heavily to Liverpool and City the last two times out. The performances have been improving, the results haven’t always been there.

Funny thing, was reading Emery’s pre-match, and as I digested, “I don’t remember the last match we played against one team being very demanding against us in duels and man-to-man,” I thought, “Well, how about Newcastle?” and he goes on to say, “Maybe the last match we played like that was against Newcastle and we lost at home. Tomorrow could be something similar. When some teams are playing against us like that, sometimes it’s very difficult to win the duels, to try to avoid their aggressive man-to-man. We didn’t do it against Newcastle.”

And there’s the match preview, really. Liverpool and City will take your aggressive marking/pressing and just play around and through it. That’s the next step for Villa. We’re close, it comes and goes, the assured takes and fluid quick passing. Emery knows what the key element is, it will just be down to Villa executing to negate that pressure and turn it to the Hatters’ disadvantage. But as Emery pointed out, they’ve faced deficits against top sides and clawed goals back. They aren’t quitters. So, I agree with Emery: Very tough game.

Good news on the injury front is that both Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres will make the matchday squad. Emery was hedging his bets about either of them starting, but Konsa will go with Lenglet and Torres will get some more rest. That makes me feel a lot better than Chambers and Lenglet.

Elsewhere, the team’s basically picking itself at this point, no other changes. In the end, it will be Luiz and McGinn who’ll need to be the telling factor for Villa, I’d think.

So here’s to a smart, disciplined performance where Villa deal with the pressure and are clinical with their chances. Given the early results, the pressure remains on to come away with at least a point, but preferably all three. It’s a game Villa don’t want to come away from empty handed.

Over to you.