Aston Villa are posing a serious threat to the Champions League places this season and a lot of people are saying they will qualify at Arsenal's expense. I beg to differ.
I think that Aston Villa are a decent side with a first class manager and they fully deserve their lofty position in the Premiership table. I don't see them lasting the pace though.
The Premiership is a marathon not a sprint and I feel that there is a huge chance that Aston Villa have peaked too early. Arsenal on the other hand have yet to hit top form and are due a bit of luck, something Aston Villa have had in bundles recently.
Villa have had lady luck smiling down on them, especially in games against Everton, Hull City, West Ham and West Brom. Surely this luck cannot last forever? Arsenal are due some luck and if we get half as much as Villa then we will be very lucky indeed. Although I will say we were lucky at Villa Park to come away with a draw!
Arsenal are slowly putting together an unbeaten run which will give the Arsenal squad some much needed confidence. It's seven games undefeated now and a clean sheet yesterday will give the defence a boost.
There will be a time when Arsenal go on a winning streak and it will be too much for Aston Villa to handle. I feel that Arsenal are slowly edging to this now and a big win is just around the corner.
I also think this is worth pointing out. People forget that we are halfway through the season and whilst Aston Villa have been playing out of their skins, Arsenal have struggled and yet we are only three points adrift. That to me says a lot and if Arsenal had made a better start to the campaign then we wouldn't even be worried about Villa.
We can only improve this season and the only way for Aston Villa is down. I expect this to happen and Arsenal to claim fourth spot at Villa's expense.
Keep it Goonerish.............
186 comments:
If we had half the luck of Liverpool we'd be about 15 points clear at the top!
They've been outrageously lucky. 3 own goal winners in the last 6 games (2 of them very late and totally undeserved) and injury time equalizer against us and an injury time winner against Everton when they were totally outplayed. Don't even think O'Neill is such a great manager. People for get his Leicester team which was as dull and destructive as Wimbledon in their long-ball era.
Bottom line, this is Arsenal's worst ever start to the Premiership, and Villa's best ever start. So our very Worst Ever is basically equal to Villa's Best Ever. 'Nuff said!
Yeah but we aint played well for weeks and still are above you, so surely we still have to click back into form! :-)
Agree with your post, especially the part about the Prem being a marathon and not a sprint. However the Bolton game highlighted our need for a winger, because our attack has been very one-dimensional and flat. I don't care WHO we get, as long as we get a good, solid DM and a pacy winger that can dribble well. What say you we steal Messi? =D
Today, I am more confident that we will finish in the top four but I think that Villa might be there too. Chelsea are imploding. The reports I have seen of their game today say that they were in complete disarray and that the players are not playing for each other or their manager. If that is true, it is a much bigger problem than we have and won't be resolved in a few weeks.
I watched Jason McAteer on Sky last night saying that Villa were in a different class to West Brom. I watched the second half of that game at The Emirates and it was all West Brom. At one point, they gavce possession stats over 10 minutes as 78% West Brom: 22% Villa. Typical of Bennett not to give either of the penalty decisions in the last minute. I agree with you, Villa are riding their luck but I am a little nervous of Everton; we need to beat them in a couple of weeks time.
Define luck? Have Villa won the lottery? Have they been awarded phantom goals by pancy young referees? Or have they capitalised on the mistakes of opponents?
In fact, have they forced their opponents into mistakes?
Are Villa playing well? No. Are they winning games? Yes.
What happens when Villa play well? Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa.
I'll define luck mate - Agbonlahor cross deflected into net by Carson, Milner cross deflecting off W.Ham defender to loop over keeper into net, Young cross smashed into his own net by Hull defender, outplayed and outpassed by Everton but scoring undeserved winner 3mins into stoppage time. That's luck - not skill, not class. Luck. You've got NO chance of finishing in top 4. in fact, you'll be lucky to hang on to 5th as Everton are better than you and we'll probably take that spot. Still, its not all gloom - the intertoto awaits! Mugs!
You need to make your mind up. In one breath you are saying villa have been outragously lucky and the next that they have been playing out their skin. The truth is villa havnt been playing their best for a while (the arsenal game aside) and yet have continued picking up points. Like it or not villa are not just going to go away and arsenal have got a real job on their hands to retain their champions league place.
Well done - 'bout time somebody actually got behind the team instead of constantly sniping at them. RvP is starting to find some of his old form and has played more than two games without picking up an injury. He's due a hat trick soon
We created far more clear cut chances than the baggies yesterday and against you on boxing day. You make your own luck my friends. Maybe if you created more, you wouldn't win games at home 1-0 in the last 10 mins. Surely you are being lucky also and yours might run out as well.
Aston Villa?
Please. Two-bob team, two-bob manager.
Agbonlahor - good player.
Young - vastly overrated. World Class??? Yeah right!
Laursen - their best player.
Probably finish 6th.
Will win nothing because - they never do!
Now be good little brummies and stop dreaming.
Dear Ian
Aston Villa have not been playing out of our skins we have not played that well at all in recent games i agree with you we are having a lot of luck we cant wait for when we do play well Arsenal have had luck on there side particularly at Villa Park you should of been 4 down at half time if we had scoed in the first half you would never of come back and if we had of scored and given you a hiding i dont think you would have recovered for the rest of the season this is the best bit of luck you could of had it wont get any better than that this season remember you have had a 10 year start on us buiding your squad Marin O'Niel has had 2 1/2 Years
Regards
Paul
Aston Villa
I agree totally. They won't be able to win games so luckily for the rest of the season and soon teams will play more defensively against them and villa are only good on the counter attack. Also they haven't suffered any major injuries and if one of either young, agbonglahor or barry are out for 3+ weeks then they could start to fall away. I have ahad a look at our fixtures and we should win at least 7 out of our next 10 games. I can see villa winning about half theres so we should be able to leap frog them and by that time walcott, fabregas, rosicky should be making a return to the squad.
I wouldn't be too quick to write off Villa, they seem to be better at grinding out results than we have been recently. Their problem is, like us, they have a small squad, and injuries to Young/Agbonlahor/Barry etc could prove costly.
I still think we'll finish above them, but we need to keep improving as I think they'll be even better next season if they can hang on to their best players. One thing is for sure, we could use Ashley Young in our team!
Dear Paul
Arsene Wenger won the double in his 1st full season so O'Neill's 2 & half years makes him a million miles behind, especially as he has spent an absolute fortune - more money than Wenger did in his first 5 years! So keep your facts to yourself mate, cuz youre talking rubbish!
i think as soon as teams start to treat villa as they do the big four teams, i.e packing players behind the ball, deny space for agbonlahor and young then we will see it get difficult for them and maybe see them struggle. hull did this to a point until lady luck smiled on villa with the own goal.also an injury to young, agbonlahor, barry or a centre back will cause them problems
They may have been lucky but league table doesnt lie. We are fifth because some of our players just arent good enough and would not even get into Villa 1st Team - Diaby, Song, Eboue, Denilson. Our They also have stronger defenders & a better keeper. And they have players who would walk into our first team like Young and Agbonlahor. We have a deluded manager who thinks he does not need to spend. We have an imbalanced team with no defensive central midfielder. We have central stiker who cant be bothered. Things arent good in Arsenal Camp. I dont take 4th place for granted but think we will just pip Villa to it.
I am actually more impressed with Moyes & Everton as they have achieved their results without any money and have been very unlucky with injuries to strikers
we are still 5th and we dont look like improving our form anytime soon which means that villa are more likely to increase their lead add to that everton breathing down our neck we are seriously up against it. Havin said this signing a quality creativw wide man will help no end providing wenger plays nasri thru the middle not out wide. Stick vela wide left and then see who we get in.. maybe arshavin! that would help us as we would have pace and skill on both flanks which would make it easier to take on the fullbacks thus creating time and space for the finishers.
Paul,
When villa have won trophies, consistently in champions league and have built a new 60,000 seater stadium then you can compare o'neills acheivements to wengers.
It's called football, you know nothing of luck and when an where it is "due".
You guys can keep guessing about your "luck" and when it will arrive and us at the villa will keep on playing football.
Stop moaning and making excuses.
Wrighty - I am a Gooner, but I am thinking that AV work really hard to create their luck. We were lucky against them as anyone will say to get a draw. So as far as the marathon goes, they deserve their position now.
However, if they get hit with the injuries that we have had and say Young or Gabby get hurt, they will struggle.
i dont think arsenal or villa have enough quality to say who will DEF finish 4th or 5th, but how many fans have such a one sided opinion that they would actully bet there house on who will finish 4th. If you would say you would you dont know football because it will be alot closer that people think.
arsene did inherit a team with players like ian wright, denis bergkamp, and a pretty reasonable defense if i recall...ffs
a little different to the pile of shite that o'leary (well doug ellis to be totally fair) left as a starting point to o'neill.
There is no luck involved in scoring a late goal. You have done it to us on many occasions and you also did it again the wkend against Bolton. I agree we have had the rub of the green in a couple of games West Ham was a luky deflection and the Baggies game we made hard work. But Hull was fair game a good cross from Young is hard to defend against and that was the risk taken by the defender. As for the penalty it wasn't so a great decision no one can dispute. To say we were lucky at Everton is a disgrace Youngs goal was class no fluke there intelligent play and a great finnish if that had been any of the other top 5 teams we would not have heard the end of it. Its not about hitting form with Arsenal as you are being well beaten by teams you think you should not be loosing to Hull, Fulham e.t.c. I think some ill decisions on realeasing players such as Hleb and Flamini have not helped. The egos of Gallas and money grabing Adebayor have gone a long way to upset the balance in your team and injuries to key players has left you exposed. It seems now in a panic you will pay over the odds for a creative midfielder and I believe there is nerves jangling in the camp of how lack lusture some of your displays have been. If you do sign a decent attacking mifielder as a Villa fan I will be concerned but until then I am confident the performances will not be up to Arsenals usual high standard. We have a real team values and ethic at Villa where no player thnks the are bigger than the club and that is some thing you can not buy. Villa can ride through with no pressure at all we hardly get recognition just labbeled as lucky but take at look at some of our results beating you at the Emirates is just one of many excellent results. Arsenal are not used to being outside the top 4 so all the pressure is on you. We will see how it pans. As 4 champions league 4 Villa it would be great but as long as Spurs go down with mr hard done by Harry Rednapp I wil be happy. Maybe we will meet next year in the Champions league. All the best chaps
Villa are a form team. But we're more at risk of overrating than underrating them. I think Everton, Portsmouth and Man City have bigger better squads with better players all round. If Arsenal were competing for 4th place come May, I'd fear those clubs a lot more, especialy Everton who are getting results with a decimated squad.
Villa are getting 49-51 decisions their way. Ashley Young's foul on a West Brom player late in yesterday's game was quite similar to Gallas' foul on Agbonlahor. But they have an "English spine". Whatever that means.
good work again wrighty gr8 article!
Let us deal in Facts Gents! Arsenal Struggled to beat Porstmouth at Home,Struggled to beat Bolton at Home;for long periods Villa played them off the park resulting in a deserved win at the Emeirates. Indeed, Arsenal have some exciting players but Aston Villa are emerging as serious challengers to your beloved 4th spot! We beat Everton,with that little bit of desire and class! Villians never quit.We are still getting results without Carew, so give us some credit. Don't forget we can get results away from home, something Arsenal struggle to do consistently!
an Arsenal fan - the "nuff said" guy. He said Villa are lucky with "an injury time equaliser against us (Arsenal) and an injury time winner against Everton"
First of all, Arsenal would have been extremely lucky not to have had that equaliser scored against them, not Villa were lucky to get it...
Secondly, in the Everton game, Villa were lucky to get the injury time winner.... but then again Everton were just as lucky to get the injury time equaliser in the first place.
So "nuff said", you knob.... Villa should have absolutely slaughtered Arsenal i nthat game let alone get a draw.
Want to reply??? Adress me as Fulham fan!
what u say is a total contradiction , villa are winning without playing well and getting the rub of the green , so what happens when they hit form then ??? surely if they are above arsenal now whilst playing poorly, when they get it together and add a few signings arsenal had better start to worry , also look at their next 5 fixtures, arsenal have hull away, everton away and spurs at home in all that, villas on paper are alightly easier so in 5 games times if villa have opened up a gap are we still gonna be calling them 'lucky' or are we finally gonna take the arsenal tinted glasses off ???
There are only 4 teams in England that have won the Champs league. Villa is one and I'm afraid that Arsenal aren't. You make your own luck for one. Secondly, the way that we play at the moment means that we let opposition teams have possesion, soak it up and then attack when we want. Our goal differences are almost identical. We have had Laursen out for a month. Carew has been out for 2 months. Teams are already putting 10 men behind the ball against us like Hull and we still win, very similarly to your game against Bolton but you were at home and we were away. Arsenal are a five-a-side team and Wenger is a cry baby if he loses but your best mate if he beats you.
Anonymous,are you Wenger in disguise? You spout as much bollocks thats for sure!!!! Go back ti France you silly llittle man.
Can I have another go at defining luck?
How about Bendtner's shanked 99th minute equaliser against Villa at the Emirates last season?
I find it hilarious at all you Arse fans saying that Villa WILL NOT finish 4th.
Villa haven't been playing well but picking up results. Unbeaten in 9 games in the league.
Arsenal?
Top 4? No chance
Manager who is past it and team who play as individuals and not a team.
Best Player? erm.......
Watch as Villa finish top 4 and Arsenal fail to qualify for Uefa cup as they finish behind Everton aswell.
HAHAHA
Dear Paul of Aston Villa,
In regards to your last comment, remember that Wenger has dismantled the Arsenal side he once had. The only remaining first-teamer of the Invincibles era is Kolo Touré, and he's not exactly at his best, so, while technically Arsène has had more time to build his squad, he's had less time to REbuild it. It's only the second season we don't have players like Gilberto and Henry and Ljungberg.
Villa fans here seem to be setting themselves up for a big crash. Some guy here thinks Denilson & Diaby are not good enough to play for Aston Villa. For fucking Aston Villa!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
You kids are going to be so disappointed this season and by next season you'll be back to mid-table obscurity.
Your best player is Young, and our Theo keeps him out of the England side.
Show respect.
I can guarantee they'll finish below us this season, maybe they'll nip in ahead of Chelsea though! Seriously though, their luck will run out and after that they're just not very good. Who would make our team from theirs?
Barry
Friedel
Young?? People say he's great but to play on those wings (when fit) we've got Rosicky, Nasri and Walcott (and maybe Arshavin soon). All full internationals, one of whome is England who is picked by Fabio Capello in that position ahead of the "world class" Young, who hasn't even made the squad recently. He'd get games but wouldn't start.
Agbonlahor- No. Just no. We have the highest scoring forward pairing in the league so whos place would he take?
Laursen?
There's two players who'd definately make our team, one who might, and one who'd get games wen we rotate. We're much better than they are, and people talk of experience in the end of the season in the title race- you need it here too and we have plenty of experience of pushing in the final months, villa haven't done that in decades!
ass-nal suck
Hang on here. To say that Villa have just been lucky is a bit harsh. 3 of the own goals could easily have been counted as normal goals oh and own goals dont all just happen to hit a player in the back of the head and go in, most are a result of a defence put under a lot of attacking pressure. Villa have not been playing well, but have worked very hard to keep clean sheets and have take their chances. Arsenal fans who say villa have been lucky I just say look at the games between Villa and Arsenal, Villa should have won the last game with luck keeping Villa from scoring 5 (the 2 goals and the ones that hit the woodwork) and we won the match befour that. It is sad as I like Arsenal but I think its more than luck that put Villa above Arsenal.
You hope we will run out of luck!!
No one was more lucky than you at our place. With three decent signings in Jan we will finish above you and Chelski!
Some would say you were lucky to beat Bolton.
Arsenal's best starting 11 from last season, the one that won 14 games in a row and topped the league for 3/4 of season. 9 of them are still at Arsenal.One of the 2 that left has been replaced by a player who's as good in Nasri.
William Gallas and Kolo Toure have won more in football than Villa's entire squad!
The media are toying with Aston Villa and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in May I am afraid.
in the past few years assnal have been better than villa, they beleive they still are but will not finish in the top 6 this season - UNLUCKY ha ha ha
Nice post Wrighty, and I totally agree about their good fortune, it wont last for ever though.
The worst thing about Gallas is he sat down in the middle of a crap staduim in Small Heath last season and Cryed after a draw, leadership indeed- What a Baby!!!!
You'll find he will be in tears again in May!!
Up the Villa!
(European Champions 1982)
Luck, Luck, Luck...............boring, boring, boring.
How many times did we hit the bar and have goal bound efforts cleared off the line aginst your rable?- and u came away with a point, pipe down.
How many european cups have you won?
We were we belong and thats challenging the supposidly the 'top 4'. We are the fourth most succesful english side of all time so we back where we belong.
O'neill revival of my club is very remeniscent of what Wenger has done for you guys after taking over from Bruce Rioch. Get used to us having this conversation over the years as we aint budging. Up the villa!!!
This whole "villa haven't had any injuries so they're lucky" argument is complete rubbish. Carew - OUT for months, Bouma - OUT for half the season, Laurson - OUT for a couple of weeks (still won without him), Cuella - OUT for a couple of weeks (still won without him). These are all first choice players. Secondly, Martin O'Neill is a shrewd operator in the transfer market - he wont touch a "sicknote" which means we often seem to miss some big name buys, but this is because he buys players who are not going to crumble under the first tough challenge. If you don't want to be dogged with injuries, don't buy injury prone players - fairly simple i would have thought.
Villa may have spent more than Arsenal did at when Wenger first arrived, but Wenger had a great team to inherit and did spend big on a comparitive level (spending 5-£6m back then is equivalent to £18-20m now) - do the maths you bitter ignorant dim wits.
Please no more talking about squads on paper as football is not played on paper and MON has a gift for getting an extra 10 to 15% from a player and how much older players have won compared to much younger players. Both are signs of Arsenal fans trying to show their team is better than the Villa team but are just showing the last few years have been better for Arsenal than Villa. But are also showing that the fear what could happen in the future with the younger Villa side already putting them under pressure. Do they fear the future in the CL places in not to include Arsenal but Villa?
Arsenal are battling it out with Everton for 5th and 6th spots (assuming Wigan don't continue there current form; if they do, Arsenal may be looking at 7th). Given the lack of quality in the Premiership, we are the dark horses in the title race. Man Ure are the team to beat, their central midfield partnership of choice is Giggs and Fletcher (unless they pick that notable joker Carrick of course), and so this doesn't sound as ridiculous as it may seem. Of course, if we don't sign a quality striker (as O'Neill criminally failed to do in the summer), things could be different. But even in this case, with Carew to come back, and other signings inevitable, a top 4 place is assured.
The suggestion that we have already peaked is risible, as our poor recent form (despite 9 games unbeaten) proves. The exception was the game against your lot. Admittedly, we played very well in that game, but your first half performance was the worst I've seen from any side visiting Villa Park this season - and I include the likes of Odense and Zilinia in that. There is plenty more to come when we have the personnel to suit the tactics we play - namely a proper target man. Once we have that in place, we won't have to rely on the fantastic guts and spirit that runs throughout the side.
If I was an Arsenal fan, I'd be extremely worried right now. You shouldn't suffer too many financial problems as Fabregas is a good player and you'll get a good fee for him in the summer. You should be able to sell a couple of your other players for decent sums too. Just don't expect to be challenging for major honours any time soon...
UTV
everyone will always defend there team and sometimes there opion will be blinded by the love for there club but it is pretty obviuos that villa are on the rise and going places fast even at this early stage of the lerner o'neil era i also believe the big for will become a big 7 or 8 very soon and we are set for the most exciting premireship era ever
Lol @ the knife carrying wannabe gangsters from North London, you getting worried homies..???
If Arsenal fans are so confident of finishing fourth then why right a whole article about Aston Villa!? Obviously Arsenal fans are worried, hence why they are trying to convince theirselves that Aston Villa are going to run out of form. I have watched most of the Villa games this season, and they have only hit top form in two or three games. The fact is Aston Villa are playing poorly and winning games and can only get better. Luck has nothing to do with why Aston Villa are so far up the table, they are there are on merit. Sure Villa have a had a few lucky results, but they have also had results go against them. The fact they hit the woodwork three times against Arsenal at home without scoring reflect this, so if you want to talk about luck, Arsenal are lucky that they are only three points behind Aston Villa.
I also disagree with fans saying that Ashley Young is overated, when realistically he is easily in the top five performers in the premier league in 2008.
I am afraid Wrighty7 you have stuck your head right out with this article, and you could end up with egg on your face.
I think that Villa are going to be serious contenders in the coming years under MON.
However I think that this season is too soon and when Arsenal get a bit of luck and confidence it will be too much for Villa.
As I've said, Villa deserve to be where they are in the league but the league doesn't finish in January.
Arsenal will hit some form at some time this season and Villa will hit a sticky patch.
Spot on above
On what should we talk about squads? You were above Man United on the table does that make you better than them? Arsenal have a vastly superior squad there's not even a contest.
Sidwell, remember him? Ginger haired guy. Well he wasn't good enough for us. Now he's your linchpin.
Some interesting comments from Gooner fans. Left me a bit gobsmacked that my little team is bothering them so much. Just proves Villa are moving the right way. Luck is as luck does and all teams have it, but when it threatens big four teams more is made of it. O'Neils management style can be a bit dubious, but he gets the job done and many Leicester and Celtic fans will agree, so get off our backs this league is big enough for us all and the more competitive it is the better it is for our national team. I'll say no more as my grandad is a gooner, so respect due.
This might sound deluded and rose tinted, but i think Arsenal will finish nquite easily in the top 4. In fact, with a couple of additions to the squad and hopefully players getting back from the treat,ent room, we'll be top 3.
Villa may well finish 4th, who knows?
I thought before the United game today, the Chavs may well lose it big stylee, and their shocking performance may be the shape of things to come!
I am an Arsenal fan and if we think Villa are not to be taken seriously then we are kidding ourselves. Hoping injuries will impact or "luck" will run out is just wishful thinking. Villa have a clear idea of how they are playing and have players who know what they are doing. I cannot say the same about Arsenal having to watch inept, clueless performances week after week. My only hope is that we are still within 6 points of Villa when Cesc, Theo and Eduardo come back. I hear this dismissive attitude towards Villa every week. I hope Arsene focuses on that battle for 4th place and stop deluding us about fighting for the title.
In the last 10 years the Arsenal have not finished outside of a top 4 place. In that period Arsenal have finished in the 4th spot just 2 times, so all the talk about Arsenal's 4th place being for grabs is just nonsense. The Arsenal will finish in no less that 2nd spot, Mark my words.
I detect some very nervous shandy drinkers on here! I think the Arse have more than had there day and should roll over graciously. Every supporter that is not a Gooner wants you out of the top 4, same old French side that from time-to-time scores a good goal. Now move over, you've had your day!
Wrighty,
I disagree that Villa will be serious contenders. I don't rule it out but I just don't see enough evidence of it.
They still have a lot of work to do to catch up with Man City, Portsmouth, Tottenham and Everton. Yes I know 3 of those are currently struggling but they have more genuine quality than Aston Villa.
They are having a great season. I just honestly 100% don't see that much quality in their first team.
erm to the Villa wally who posted at 19:19. AV have never won the champions league. They won the european cup over a quarter of a century ago when you only had to play 9 games against the other champions of Europe to win it. Teams in the champions league now still have to play the other champions + the top sides who would have been in the UEFA cup back then. It's a much harder competition now - 13 games to win it. You played the Icelandic Champions in the 1st round, then Dynamo Berlin! Hardly the cream of Europe. And you ain't won fuck all since apart from a couple of league cups so stop harping on about past glories. You sound like the scum down the road! Fair play to Villa if they do get 4th, but dont be so cocky. Lets see how you get on if you suffer a few injuries and suspensions later on in the season shall we?
ha!look how worried you all are, to feel the need to justify your league position with tales of luck!face it-the arsenal are running scared!!
up the villa!
Once again here we have Arsenal fans whinging about Villa, and how "lucky" they are, and how they won't last the pace, and really it's obvious to everyone that you're starting to crack just as bad as you're manager is. You're nervous because your INVINCIBLE Top 4 status is under threat. Everywhere, I see Arsenal fans posting on sites ranting about how much better you are than Villa...I don't see Villa fans posting comments about how we're gonna finish in the Top 4, it's the media and pundits rambling on about it, us Villa fans are just enjoying the ride, and not looking beyond the next game, it's just nice for us to seem to be taken seriously once again(except by Arsenal of course), and we're enjoying the excitement of it all
and by the way, this "luck" thing is becoming a joke. YES we were lucky against West Ham, but where else? Hull? Gabby would have scored anyway had Zayatte not stuck his foot out, and it WASN'T handball or a penalty unless you're completley blind.
Everton? Yeah they played better than us on the day, and we won. Big deal. That's happened more times to us than I can remember.
LUCKY against West Brom??? HA! How exactly? We could have scored a shedload of goals yesterday. It WASN'T a penalty either, once again unless you're completley blind, and ANY TEAM can pass the ball around there own half and the midlfield and knock up "impressive stats", and make it look like they were the better team, how good were they in the final third? What's the object of the game again? Sound likes Arsenal a lot of the time. BY THE WAY, HOW LUCKY WERE ARSENAL TO NOT GET HAMMERED AT VILLA PARK ON BOXING DAY?????
VERY LUCKY!!!
I must say Arsenal used to be my favourite out of the "big 4", but I've lost a lot of respect for your manager and the fans recently, for articles like this, and the ridiculous excuses ye come out with when you lose. You're all starting to sound like bitter whingers and you want to make Villa look pathetic, well guess who sounds really pathetic? You really could be eating your words by the end of the season, so I'd advise all you Gooners, when it comes to Villa, SHUT UP!!
We've (Villa that is) only really played 'well' twice all season. Both times against your lot!. Once we battered you on your own patch and the second time we battered you on ours and yet you came away with a point. Be thankful for that bit of luck LOL
All Villa fans know that finishing 5th this season would be fantastic, its all about building things slowly and moving on a bit each season. We have no pressure on us, we just go out and give it our all each game. Team harmony and sheer will to win has took us this far. What happens next is anyones guess, but is hows how the 'mighty' (cough cough) Arsenal have fallen if all you're worried about is finishing 4th!
I haven't even given it a second thought. We'll just keep plugging away and hope our injuries clear up soon. We'll finish where we deserve to finish. And that'll do for me.
Jeez! Check out the smug Villans!
About this time a few years back Sunderland were in the top4. If i recall, the media were telling us then that they'd be replacing Arsenal!
Like I said, I think we'll finish above the Chavs and maybe the scousers, so Villa are welcome to 4th spot!
Funny how arsenal now have their backs up slagging off the Villa just because we're a genuine threat to them! Arsenal are a quality team but are not the force they were 3-4 years ago. The Villa seem to have unlimited ambition and are improving all the time, we are also 'not the finished article' just like Arsenal. Perhaps it's because we're upsetting the top 4 big boys club that everybody has started picking us apart.
I'm surprised that Arsenal fans' are soo critical considering we won 2-0 at the emirates, and could and should have easily won at VP by 2-3 goal margin. But i suppose that gooners forget the massive slice of luck they received at VP and how unfortunate Villa were not to have thrashed Arsenal that day.
We have matched and beaten Arsenal twice this year, and i think we should demand a bit more respect than we are getting on here!
Sounds a pretty balanced post, as a Villa fan. We've had luck in spades, I agree, but you have to have it to do any good, imo. It so happens, we're playing so poorly, I'm expecting us to blow up any time.
But you forget one thing.
Villa went the last 18 games unbeaten, the season before last.
I think it was the last 12 games last season? (I might be wrong there).
Whatever, we don't seem to weak finishers.
While we might collapse, I think you should be worrying more about yourselves. It's common knowledge you don't have a pot to piss in and strengthening might be a problem. I don't see Arshavin being the solution to all your problems.
If we can get say, 3 players in, we're going to give you a very good run for your money.
That said, if we're going to take someone out of the top 4 (and let's face it the game needs it), I'd much rather it was Liverpool.
We,, Wrighty7, you've discovered a way of getting a shed load of hits on here fella!
Just completely write off the Villa!
Napolean once said "I do not want good generals I want lucky ones" well may be its better to support a lucky team than a good one?
I predict both Arsenal & Villa will be in the Champions League next season....the wheels will fall off the scouse band wagon big time btw its only very recently that Arsenal have caught up with Villas trophy haul.
To the Villa fans on here;
If some Gooners are slating your team, I dont think its out of any bad blood, its just that we are a sensitive bunch this season! We've seen the squad get trimmed to the depth of a Rizla! Promises of new recruits never arrived in the summer and we've witnessed some of THE most lethargic, dis-interested performances I can remember under Wenger (including games against Hull, Fulham and Villa at the Grove BTW!)
Villa are having an exceptional season, Arsenal a torrid (well, Im sure a load of teams would swap places!) so ....be nice!
Wrighty is right, and it is nice to finally hear an Arsenal fan talk some sense. I have said the same thing to my friends: Arsenal have NOT played well at all, but still we're just 3 points behind Villa - and only 4 points behind Chelsea! We are slowly getting into form now, and soon Eduardo and Walcott will be back. I can see us going on a run now, the results are beginning to come now, and our confidence is on the rise. We will definitely finish in the top four and probably even leapfrog Chelsea and finish third.
Oh dear. A little bit of pressure and the Goners are sounding like Spuds fans. Sad.....very, very sad. Best you stop shaking with fear and concentrate on your own shortcomings rather than bank on those around you falling apart. Real Villa fans are just happy to be giving it a shot. The smell of you kids peeing your pants is starting to make us think we just might succeed. Keep it up. :-)
Actually, the reason to focus on Villa is not because we are scared. I certainly am not. Even if you finished ahead of us, it doesn't mean we won't be in the champs League places.
The point is that Villa are a distraction. The real issue for Arsenal is staying in touch at the very top. Just by staying in touch at the top we'll swat Villa aside since it's a league.
If it were Man City or Tottenham ahead of us I'll be scared. But most of us genuinely just think you're not goo enough as most objective appraisals would lead one to conclude. The gap in quality between us and you is too much in every respect.
for all those arsenla fans who have said wenever win nothing and we never will.
well we have won the european cup have you?
and i dont see arsenal winning anything either lol
Should Villa finish higher than Arsenal come season end can we assume that the Gooners will be magnanimous enough to accept that Villa were the better team? I think not. Try to show some class. You were a good team once.
why would arsenal be scared or man city or tottenham, obviously they are fihting to stay in the premier league am i right??
does people that realise that they are ONLY 3 points ahead. If they lose (which they will) and we win then what? We're tied. Don't buy into this Aston Villa media madness. If Chelsea can lose then surely Villa can.
If Villa finished higher than Arsenal I won't accept Villa are a better team....but you would sure have deserved it. I'd come wherever you are kiss your arse and say anything positive you want me to say about your team.
But I don't think you are good enough to finish higher than Arsenal. I don't have much reason to think you will.
o yh we have shown more class than the arsenal this season obviously we have scored more goals and ther have been more enjoyable games when watching villa
Dear Sirs. Please make your 40 million pound cheque payable to Aston Villa Football Club Limited. Thank you in advance.
Anonymous, those teams will scare me more because man for man they have more quality than Villa and it would mean their plans and mega spending is succeeding. And they actually have resources too.
Perhaps you should consider renaming the Emirates to the Eurostar Stadium and compete in La Ligue? More chance of finishing in the top four there. Bon chance!
If Aston Villa finish above Arsenal I will quite rightly appauld them.
More scared of Tottenham and Man City? Oh dear. Pehaps the NCP Stadium would be more fitting.....
Ole Gunner, you're deluded mate.
We murdered you home and away.
Anyway, you're not the only ones with injuries. We've been without our best LB for most of the season.
We play a RB at LB, ffs.
Stay in touch with the top teams???
You're joking mate, you have enough trouble keeping up with us and indeed Everton if Moyes buys well in the window, as he tends to.
Man City or Tottenham????
You know nothing about the game, imo, as squads on paper mean nothing. Both sides are shit this season, fact!
You have loads of quality, but you ain't winning the league are you?
There's much more to it and I'd cite chelsea as an example (now that's a club that overperformed over the last few years).
Please don't become as arrogant as the Yids, you're better than that, imo.
Oh dear! Looks like asking the Villans to play nice was askin too much!
Jeeeeeeeez! Its January and you are a whopping 3 points ahead of us! Even if we have to put the old X Lax in your players pre-match Lasagne a few times, we're be in that there top 4 I tell thee!
All the best for the rest of the season tho...
Whats all this about luck luck luck? You make your own luck in football, sounds like sour grapes to me, we'll see where Villa finish at the end of the season, it's got to be above the Gooners, just you wait and see!
Some of the Villans on here seem to be getting above themselves!
I'm loving the banter on here!
i think arsenal are on the up ( and im a man u fan). totally respect the way mr wenger has handled the criticism over the past few months and his young squad have shown great strength. fancy arsenal for top four finish, perhaps even top the way chelsea are playing.
i meant top 3*...
Wrighty7,
Agreed :-)
I think it shows just how close things are.
I rate your mug side highly and as I said, would rather see Pool or even Chelsea kicked out the top 4.
Whatever, best of luck, as long as we finish in the top 4.
I'm in the construction industry too and have to be in Uxbridge early tomorrow, so I'll try and catch you another time mate.
I've enjoyed it ;-)
We play Hull next week. If the players can't get motivated for that one, especially as they completely took beating em for granted last time out, then nothing will!
I think we are slowly getting better and playing away will probably suit us better.
Laters Badger!
Spike,
I make you right and I really fancy Arsenal to batter Hull-if Wenger picks the right team!
HILARIOUS! Villa fans giving it large from their mighty 4th position & a whole 3pts clear of Arsenal!
Aaaah, bless 'em! Its like xmas every day.
Now the reality check... Luck is fleeting, class is forever. Be happy if you finish sixth 'cos you really aint any better than that. Now be quiet and let the big boys do their stuff. You've had your 15mins.
Wrighty;
Hull were unlucky against Villa (ooh, what a turn up!) but they are on a pretty shite run of form, BUT if there's any team to help another team get out of a rut, then its us!
I'd take another late goal one nil win any time!
Villa are enjoying the ride. Try and keep up, Gooners. :-)
go villa
Arsenal you bitches
I'm a neutral and I think that Arsenal are really worried....hence their irrational reaction to Villa 's success so far. The simple fact is that Villa have NOT been playing out of their skins, on th whole they have been inconsistent at best and poor at worst. Call it lucky if you like but their luck has gone on and on...I think that its more than that....only good sides manage to continue picking up points when playing badly. Let's face it Arsenal fans you are worrie....and NO club has a divine right to success and NO club is immune from failure
Thats the thing tho, I think our shite patch is done with!
WooHoo!
Onward and upward Gooner bitches!!!
im a united fan, you all saw today so i aint even gonna mention it. asrenal are shite and are a finished team. fact. villa are up and coming, not there yet, maybe next season. all arsenal fans got that feeling that they cant challenge for the title no more and if your so concerned about aston villa, how the hell are you gonna compete with us? you will never be as good as us, and thats another fact.
Oh jesus, another plastic United fan from fuck knows where mouthing off on an Arsenal blog, discussing Villa!
Brilliant.... Fact!
Wrighty, wake up and smell the coffee. You have mortgaged the club to the hilt to pay for the Emirates, you have to sell every season to fund it.
Bye Bye good times, hello mis table obscurity
That Miss Table-Obscurity's well fit!
spike fuck you. i can come on here and say what i like. your just jealous cos we are the premiership champions, european champions and now world champions. dont forget that. jealous cunt
You can do anything you want sweety. Apart from support your local team, obviously, you sad ikkle glory hunter!
Your angry response shows I hit a nerve there!
Brilliant!
Villa are a club making progress. We're not having an exceptional season. In fact, I'm a little disappointed by our position in the league. We should have signed a striker in the summer, and had we done so, we'd have more points on the board, and no-one would be talking about us being 'lucky' (which apparently is a euphemism for gutsy and spirited). The standard of football in the Premiership is low. None of the teams are impressive. Liverpool are top for goodness sake!
Don't get me wrong, I'm surprised how favourably Villa compare with the top teams in the Premiership, because I don't think we're a great team by any means. But we are getting better, we have quality players (Barry, Young, and Agbonlahor would get into any other side in the league and make a difference), we have a manager with a plan, and an owner with the resources to back him. I'm not saying we WILL win the league this season, or next season, but we might. I don't think Arsenal fans will be able to say that for a long time...
Wrighty your comments are quite phethetic is supposed to be a factual review.
Firstly if Villa are so lucky then against the teams you mentioned then how many teams arsenal been lucky against.
I mean you had ladyluck yesterday to score in the last 6 minutes to scrap the 3 points against a very average bolton side.
I can't see it getting any better for the gunners especially when your so big guns decide they have had enough and start walking away.
Fabregas, Adbeyour,Gallas.
Remember mate villa have yet to spend in january to strengthen and if MON gets the players he wants then 4th is a sure bet.
Looking at the way arsenal have been playiing what makes you think they are getting better i think your kidding your self and fooling the arsenal faithful.
Be realistic mate....
Haha. We'll see. I'll leave it at that.
To say Villa did not win the champions league is just wrong. The european cup went through a name and format change to make it more profitable and maybe easier to win as you can go throught the whole thing without facing any champions you could finish forth in the league and face teams that came in 2nd to 4th in the likes of italy and spain. But when Villa who it you had to be champions to get into it and faced only champions
V2STP;
Blimey! What a teenage tantrum that was!
You know its desperate when some twat trots out the; ooh gallas, Cesc, et al are all gonna go this summer, bollocks!
Erm, like barry in the summer you mean?
With the Barry Saga brought up. Can I ask why we are arguing when we both should be arguing with mutual targets. Thats right, Liverpool and Man U.
Ok, Villa fans. You'll win the league in the next 3 years. You'll be playing Champions League next season. Ashley Young is the new new Jairzinho. Martin 'Neil will take you to paradise. Happy Now?
Young, Agbonlahor & Barry would make even Brazil 1970 stronger.
The own goals and penalty decisions going your way in no way means you are lucky.
And of course, Arsenal are just crap. The squad that dominated the Premier League and Europe for 3/4 of last season, full of much more, experience, internationals than yours, is evidently not comparable to your great side.
And you, the fans of that great squad have great humility given how great you are.
We bow to you!
Spike...
It common knowledge mate that these 3 players want to leave as they can see what the future holds for arsenal. I mean you had to name fabregas as captain just to get him to commit to staying.
Yes your right barry did want to leave and MON took the captaincy away from him at the time. He is now who is now dicussing a new contract with villa as he can see the future ahead.
Stop being in denial you muppet and grow up and accept the facts as they are.
You gooners try to mock Villa, saying we have been lucky. Lets look at your results shall we!
You have scrapped 1-0 towards stoppage time more than anyone! Look at the Bolton game, we spanked them, you struggled - FACT!
Arse
Biggest Home Win: 6 - 0 Sheff Utd
Biggest Away Win: 4 - 0 Blackburn
Worst Home Result: 0 - 2 Aston Villa
Worst Away Result: 0 - 3 Man City
Villa
Biggest Home Win: 4 - 2 Man City
Biggest Away Win: 4 - 0 Wigan
Worst Home Result: 0 - 1 QPR
Worst Away Result: 0 - 2 Chelsea
Yes we may have lost against QPR, however I don't see Villa's name in your most impressive stats. Oh and you lost to Man City who we put 4 past them, and you scored a token goal against Wigan, while we cruised with just the 4!
Go and play on the motorway now!
From:Paul-Villa Fan- Realist and also a grown up!!
At the end of the day, do one one here can say for certain who will finish where this year. It's all opinion, and you know what they say about opinions..... Like arseholes, everyones got one!!! Good luck to Arsenal, if they finish fourth, third, second or top, they'll finish where they deserve to finish. Personally, I think the champions league would come a season or two too early for Villa this year. Fifth place, UEFA cup (or Europa league, whatever it is) would give us european football for another season, and good experience for our young players. Then, and only then can we seriously consider villa top four contenders, but not this year, as much as it would please us villains.....sorry!!!!
Cesc want to leave? Ade does too? Its common knowledge??
Shit man, must be effin brilliant being able to read the thoughts of Arsenal players? Gallas CAN fuck right off, Im sure a lot of Gooners would happily drive him to the airport! And IF come summer, any player does wanna go, then they can, Im the £25 mill Adebayor would recoup would get us a decent (and for a few Gooners better) striker. face it, you know fuck all about Arsenal apart from what you manage to read on tabloid headlines.
barry aint signing a new contract, he's off to the scousers come July... didnt you know that???
You seem very angry, why is that?
Ole Gunner no need for sarcasam. I just said to say ots all luck is pushing it a bit. Oh and while we are on teams getting lucky how about Man U who get 88.5% of decisions go their way (fact) when on average only 49/50% should have. Man U bias? no! but look at all the times they were ripped off by getting lots of injury time and getting a late goal? oh wait that helped man u. TO say Villa get luck and Bias from refs (to all who talk about the hull game when the ref made the right decision) and be a man u fan just brings back thought of pots and kettels.
Wrighty7;
Seems you really touched a nerve calling Villa jammy!
Nobody said it was all luck. I think the one thing Aston Villa have that is Top-4 level is fitness. They don't fade away.
That;s why teams get late goals. That's like Arsenal last season and even many time this season. You also have a variety of scorers which is always a good sign.
However you folks are living in Santa's garden thinking your present team is Top-4 level.
You are not. Your best players are England U-21 players, and every body else you have is a mid-tabe club player.
Agbonlahor might become a better player. Or he might not need to become that given his pace. But he's not an exceptional talent. Ashley Young is a player I rate a lot. He's on all my fancy teams and the stats prove he's a great player. There you have one. Laursen is a decent Centre*back but he's nowhere near the same league as Gallas and Toure when they are in form. Barry is a grafter who can do a decent job for any team in the world, without ever being a fantastic player.
The rest of your team abound in oodles in the Premier League. You're not as good as we are. And you won't be if you don't recognise that first.
As for luck: Nobody begrudges you your luck. We all wish we were getting own goals. When we've had it we've been happy, like Van Persie's offside goal against Chelsea. But you're being ridiculous to pretend you haven't had luck and a whole lot of 49-51 decisions going your way.
Final piece of advice: Don't believe what the media tell you. They get it wrong 9 times out of 10. In August they told us Chelsea will run away with the title. Now they pretend they always said all along that Scolari is not the right man, he never managed at club level...etc.
Gentlemen, please, lets stop the bitterness between us. Villa are doing better than anyone expected (including the Villa fans) and we've finally got the nod from HRH Alan Hansen. Listen, we're not "expecting" to finish top 4 or 5, we hope to because we've set ourselves up nicely for it. Arsenal are the best footballing side in the league and in some ways, Villa are the worst, but we win the games and that's what matters. If it all falls away, we wont be bitter, we'll be chuffed
Ole Gunnar...
NONE of us Villa fans believe the media shite, they've been slating us for years, why would we listen to them now?
We're not as good as Arsenal. FACT.
But we could still finish in the top 4. FACT.
We still have a few years to go before we get to that top 4 level and the ability to challenge in the Champions League, but the exciting thing for us we are on the way, like it or not Arsenal, Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool fans.
The infrastructure is in place, we have a great manager, and some real talent (Young, Gabby who keeps getting better, Barry, not to mention unsung heroes like Petrov, Milner and Laursen)
And as for Toure and Gallas being miles better than Laursen...
Martin Laursen is one of the most consistent defenders in the leauge, puts in MOTM performances week in week out, and is also a bloody goal machine.
But let's not get ratty with each other...you guys hate Spurs, we hate Blues, let's not hate each other
Gallas couldn't clean Laursen's boots by the way FACT
arsenal fans are just so wonderfully paranoid, nervous and also arrogant. what a wonderful concoction of characteristics. your arrogance is reflected most by your fans and manager but have no doubt, villa are giving you a run and are here to stay. we are only going to get stronger in the next few seasons. as for this year we are delighted with our progress. we have had some luck but hasnt every top 4 team in any campaign. maybe now as a top 4 team at the moment, we are too. but we are also vastly underestimated. we now have real match winners and if we strengthen yet further we may well be a real force. stay arrogant and dismiss us all you like. it may well be your downfall this year and will see you finishing 5th or even in the intertoto yourselves. then realism may replace your arrogance. up the villa
was a fun read, and looks like has many villa fans came on here as real supporters go to the emerates.
gl le-arse with your battle with everton for 5th/6th lets hope man u win league cup so you still get a euro spot for 6th :P
Yes! Gallas couldn't clean Laursen's boots. Laursen has played for top clubs and national teams and won virtually all there is in football. And Gallas? He couldn't clean his boots. Villa fans might no longer be living on planet earth.
Wait, isn't that the other way round?
This article is a joke. Ok i accept arsenal r stil favourites 2 get 4th, but to say we've bin lucky is just wrong. Arsenal were the lucky team at villa park wen we hit th woodwork 3 times n u scored 2 in 2 shots. I say thats unlucky on our part. We may have scored late at everton bt their equaliser was also in stoppage time! Also this isnt our best ever start, its only best in 10 years of under investment n poor management. P.S. Habe you won the european cup?
yus i can see it now aston villa in the champions league . fuckme the tv companies will have to give the advertising time away , who'll watchem cause i'll be watching corrie they are shite to the nth degree
I'm an Arsenal fan and I believe in the truth being told. Most Arsenal fans ARE worried about AV. That is a fact and as it stands, I applaud AV with total honesty. For me, it doesn't matter whether they have been lucky up until now or not. What matters is what they have been doing in their games. Every team has 38 games to play and correct me if I'm wrong, every team will get their fair share of Lady Luck over the course of the season.
What we all (as PL followers) need to grasp this season is that this league has evolved big time! Look at the second half of the table. Only 3 pts! seperate about 8 teams down there. The difference between 11th place and 17th place is actually 2 pts! I think that is seriously tight. Infact, I think it is far too early to say "X" or "Y" will win the league! The league title (as far as I'm concerned) can be won by any of the top6 (depending largely on what kind of money they soend this January). I hate to admit this but I can see Man Utd getting into pole position again soon. Gone are those days when you get easy games on a Saturday. Liverpool could not beat Stoke after playing them twice! A lot of teams are giving the big boys a run for their money. Even West Ham recently held Chelsea and so did Wigan! Arsenal were lucky to equalise against Sunderland. This is the tightest league season I've witnessed and the way things are going, you can never tell how the next 6 weeks will pan out.
I love quality football and I appreciate how Villa are playing. I wish them well!
If Arsenal want to be in the top four this season, we don't need to worry about Villa. It's not a competition against Villa for 4th but a race to catch up with the top team (which is currently L'pool). Considering all the defensive atrocities and attacking profligacies and lack of a defensive midfield and creative hub at Arsenal, it is still A BIG MIRACLE that Arsenal are "ONLY" 8 points adrift of the top.
For me, the season has only just begun. Fasten your seat belts! From now on, every result counts!
At the moment, Arsenal cannot finish above Villa with the squad and injuries we have. Sorry, no.
This is the 12th day in January and I still maintain that this transfer window will be the most crucial for Arsenal Football Club.
Any more injuries to key players (e.g Van Persie + Nasri)in February will hit Arsenal so hard. The window is open now and the least Arsenal can do now is to spend money they would regret not spending in May. Injuries happens when the window is shut and you have big games in front of you. The latter stages of the PL, CL and FA Cup are still to come. This is why I say the season has only just started. Most seasons, some teams would have packed it in for the upcoming season but this season is different in that every team is playing for one thing or the other, either for survival or for European places. Since I've been following football in England, I've never seen anything this close. Villa won't go away. Arsenal shouldn't expect Villa to go away. Arsenal need to compete and enjoy the competition but you only enjoy the competition if you are able to compete with what you have. I'm afraid Arsenal cannot compete with what we currently have. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee. Thanks Villa for making this such a great competition. I'm enjoying every bit of it. I'm praying everyday that Arsenal dip into the market and get the players we need, not necessarily the players the fans want. This team needs a minimum and I mean VERY MINIMUM of 3 players this January. Let's wait and see. Want to reply? Call me Daymee
I went to see villa vs hull city (i'm a gooner btw) and it was the most boring show of football i've seen in a while. city sat back and villa just passed it across the defence. barry is slow and shit and clumsy, an overpaid ian ashbee. Arsenal beat chelsea and man utd, if anyone tries to play us at football they lose, playing a 10-0-0 formation and popping a few shots on the break is shit, it might do you for a bit but in the long term proper talent and class will see us through, also remember the arsenal team is young so will only get better with age (and the crozillian goal machine's return). even diaby might learn to be consistent!
good luck to the villa tho, been doing well, keeping things interesting. If the scouse cheats or cashley's boys lose out on the CL i'll be well happy.
Mav the Villan
Good post wrighty.
For the last 10 years the Ars have played some of the best football I have ever seen and are probably the most classy side in Europe.
Villa whom I spend endless cash , have been S**t.
My take is this , We will struggle to finish fourth , i have watched every game this season and on the whole we have played well , rode our luck but done well.
But we are to small a squad, we are playing to many people out of position and have a number of injuries ,and potential injuries barry groin, Martin knee etc.
The prem this season for the first time since MUTD won it for the first time is very close from the top down, any one of 6 clubs could finish in the top four and anyone of 10 could go down.
The ars are in prime slot for fourth or third (Chelsea are rubbish) ten years of knowing how to get through the wire into the top four will i fear see you well.
But finally my point ,
Man city , Spurs , everton and ourselves are closer today than we have been over the last 10 years to the big 4 , better squads, grounds, finance and management, we are all moving forward . The top four monopoly is going to be tested even further over the next few years and no one one will have a god given right to be their.
Whilst you have again the best stadium in the country (and it is fantastic), and some of the youngest talent, do you belive hand on heart thathis and your current level of investment in personnel will win you the title or even challange in 09/10
Good luck for the rest of the season and watch your backs because its not just villa behind you
villa don't have enough quality.
the league should be based on quality.
the more quality you have, the more points.
it's so simple.
look at spurs - loads of quality there.
or man city - they have brazilian quality, which is worth 4xnormal quality.
the current table , based on teams performances over a number of games is obviously of no value at all.
gallas is a top quality player who's won a number of trophies
just, not at arsenal.
Gotta laff when Villa are called boring by (1-0 to the) Arsenal.
Villa have scored more goals than any team this season bar Chelsea. Last year only Man U and your boys scored more.
Oh, breakaways and own goals don't count? Appears they do when it comes to points.
Hard to work out where the smell is coming from - the bullshit you lads spout or the fact that you're clearly crapping yourselves.
At least you're consistent. So well done with that.
Bet it's fun in the Royal household at the mo with William a Villan and Harry a Gooner.
oh well, hopefully villa will finish 4th. then we'll win the champions league. good times in brum eh boys? get a better kit.
i agree, brum scum singing about eduardo's injury. lucky boring bastards. like a maroon totnum.
AV haven't got serious injuries as yet. Wait till Young and the tother strikers are injured.
As for Arsenal,I still believe there was a conspiracy to stop the gunners by targetting Eduuardo.
It would be very interesting to see how the red face would cope when his main striking personnel are deliberately injured . So far it has not happened. Why not?
Allow me to digress. I know this is a colum for all things Arsenal.Being an Arsenal fan allow me to have a dig at the red faced.
So the red face has bragging rights now on Jan 12 2009.Anyway Chelsea had to be beaten as they have not been beaten away this season. This is the law of averages.
I look thru and its about time the red faced gets a beating . Last time they lost to Arsenal.
It's about time Wigan beat them and I would like to see the red faced chewing on his shit.
First point there was someone on here who reckons Gallas and Toure have won more than the whole Villa team together. Sorry your wrong. IN Laursen we have player who has won everything at least twice with Milan, in Carew we have a striker who has played in every league in europe and won wherever he has gone (villa not quite yet) and then in Petrov we have player who has won more league doubles than Arse have done in there whole history.
Second point Spur and Man City are better than us are you having a laugh yes they have bigger squads but like you they are a bunch of individuals on a pitch and not a team.
Third point yes we have had luck this season, but to be honest all we are doing is getting a decade of Gooner luck in one season.
Fourth and final point if you had of told any Villa fan we would be where we are now at the beginning of the season we would of jumped at the chance. Now that we are there and looking at the performances of the top 4 we are in with a big shout of finishing in the top 4, far beyond any Villa fans dreams.
Please stop slagging us off and if you do need to point out stats check them before writing them i.e. Toure and Gallas have won more than the whole Villa team hahahahah you dick head
Although I watch only Arsenal , I admit Villa has a good team this season,
Ashley Young & Agbonlahor are doing really well.
I think Villa depends on these two staying fit, so yeah a little luck might keep Villa in top four
just for the record, all these years Arsenal have been in the champions league.......cant win it.
Im sure Villa have won the thing !!!!!!!!!!!
thats rich coming from the team full of luck. look at your result at the weekend jammy 1-0 win you are the poorest team up there so wind your neck in and look at the leauge table it never lies. we are just a better TEAM than you with a ENGLISH base you should try playing the same players every week they all know what they are doing not a bunch of blokes who cant even speak the same language. as we sang to you at villa park the other week: YOUR NOT ENGLISH ANY MORE
These comments show just how worried Gooners fans are!
you can smell their fear. marvellous.
Gooners not playing wright, not looking wright and not feeling wright. Allwrighty then. Goooners...gooners......gone............ :-)
The best thing is like people who have posted above, Villa arent playing good football but are still winning, the Gunners are starting to grind out the 1-0er's too now, will be a great fight to see who comes out on top.
i believe Arsenal have more genuine Class in there ranks than the villa.
in the same sense i feel we have the edge over the gunners on the team spirit front.
Anyway to be fair i can see chelsea slipping away! anyway see Manu destroy them yesterday?
havent seen chelsea play that poorly for a while now.
i would love a top four finish, but just above Chelsea is more than acceptable to me!!
Good luck for the rest of the season lads.
Christ Girls everybody take the chillpill as a Villa fan im thrilled we are being talked about at last. We HAVE been a tad lucky of late but i do believe we urgently need a strong forward to fill in for Big John Carew we can only play on the counter attack ,if our dreams are to be realised this season we must act quickly.We have got you lot worried about losing your top 4 status but hey most Villa fans would be in dreamland with a 5th place finish.Anyway good luck for the rest of the season and i hope you'll be crying into your pints of southern shandy come May.
we the Villa havent been playing at our best for a few weeks now but we are still winning thats the sign of a good team. dont get me wrong when Arsenal are on form they play the best football in Europe, but i think the present team is involved in alot of off field politics, there is something not right at your club and it will bring you down if its not sorted. Up the Villa
Walk on you daft cocka-nays. Look at the table and walk on. We took 4 points from you in 2 games so that's why we deserve to be above you.
Arsenal - as usual you're gonna win f all
Interesting reading all the Gooners who are saying that Villa have been "lucky", as a few posts state, luck is hard earnt and forced by intense attacking pressure. Also if you want a look at luck, again as other people have replied, look at Arsenal when they played villa at villa park, and even the match at the weekend, earlier declared in the replies, apparently late goals are lucky - open ur eyes, late goals come from a winning mentality and from working hard on the training ground.
Villa are slowly building a very fine squad, we have pace, balance and a shed load of determination!! Arsenal, no one can deny are off the pace..... only time will tell who will finish in the top four, I hope its Villa (being a villa fan) but also because it will be refreshing for the Premier League to see a team break in to the "big four". I dont think its necessarily between arsenal and villa though as the post declares... watch out for Everton who are in form and chelsea who certainly have problems of their own.
its a great time to be a Villan, but we need to sign some quality in this window to keep ourselves where we want to be, especially if we're going to challenge for the Uefa Cup and FA Cup.
Personally I think we should focus on the Premier League - would be great to break the top 4!!!
George
As a Villa fan who has always had a soft spot for Arsenal lets hope as someone posted earlier, Chelsea implode and drop out of the top 4. That would be hilarious...
Luck, lol, Luck ashley young put in that cross and if hull hadnt of put it in the net, gabby wudda ;) the hull defender had no chance but to try and clear it, an it was going nowere other than the goal, at everton, wernt no luck at all, was pure class from ashley young ;) a player you will dream of, as for the clown saying theres always intertoto ;) no such thing no more, so thats a shame for arsenal
Champions league were having a laugh? LOL, done u 2-0, and u even admit your lucky to come away 2-2 from villa park, and even our 4th choice centre back scored, so cheer up lovers, we're 3 ahead of u with, sunderland, blackburn, wigan n pompey our next 4 games :)
I'm a villa fan through and through and yes i agree 100% that we have been very lucky with some of our results recently even more because we havent played well (the 2-2 with arsenal aside) since we beat the arsenal in november..
ultimately i do think arsenal will pip us to 4th as i cant see us lasting the pace..
after the west brom game we looked knakered at the final whistle
HOWEVER
some of the comments here are completely ridiculous...
everton are not better than us, not at all. they are a solid decent team, but we have more talent, better players and greater potential to be even better than we are..
and secondly, ashley overrated...ok hes not as good as lionel messi or ronaldo but hes a quality winger, argueably one of the best in the league..
who do you have?! nasri!! yeh hes amazing that player.. scored a couple against utd and a goal a few mins into his debut against the baggies and apart from that f*** all.. if anyones overated its arsenal full stop.. still talking about title chances... your title campaign ended when you lost to us in NOVEMBER!!!..
PS.. please get some english blood into your team.. your embarassing the premiership...
Arsenal have their worst start and Villa have their best.
Don't be so narrowminded, we aren't lucky... we create the chances to score. Bolton we're unlucky not to score on Saturday yet you forget it could have been a different tale.
Villa have played absolutely crap lately, we haven't seen the free flowing passing that we enjoy since way before Christmas but we are grinding the results out.
Arsenal have struggled against all sorts of opposition and you have had your slice of luck at various points this season..
For example;
1-0 win against Bolton - They should have scored and you couldn't create anything. Yet you get the goal late on.
1-0 Portsmouth - They should have been ahead, played you off the park at times yet you sneak a goal.
1-1 Boro at Riverside - The most one sided affair I've seen all season.
And these matches are only from the last 5 fixtures!
If we weren't up in the top 4, we wouldn't deserve to be but we are so get over it. The gap was decreasing and now it's decreased.
And please don't blame it on injuries... we haven't had Carew/Laursen/Bouma/Cuellar for long strechs of the season and there just as important to us as people like Van Persie and Gallas are to you.
I hadn't thought too much before today about whether Arsenal fans are concerned about Villa's form this season.
After reading this thread, I realise you are all bricking it!
All this ranting about "luck" and whether victories are "deserved" - what a joke. If you had won 3-2 at Everton in the way that we did, you would have been ranting on about fantastic Arsenal, never-say-die spirit and so on.
Face it, guys, we've got you on the run and you aren't enjoying this new experience of looking up at the top 4. Well, you're gonna have to get used to it, I think, this season.
Like the article says the season is a marathon and not a sprint but beware all Gooners who think it is just a matter of time.
Villa have been going through an evolution, good things happening ever since Learner and O'Neill came in. We will need to continue to have good fortune, but it was skill that ended up beating Everton and skill that won the penalty against you. Luck has been involved but the force behind this luck is a belief that we have the ability to win games. Personally I would prefer Liverpool to be in 5th and you to be the target of Man U. Just don't think Villa are going away, providing Learner and O'Neill continue so will the improvement in Villa.
"Still, its not all gloom - the intertoto awaits! Mugs!"
I think you will find the Intertoto no longer exists - YOU MUG!!!
Haha, Arsenal fans talking about silverware. I think you'll find Villa have won the most prestigious trophy in the world(European Cup-Champions League), and Arsenal are yet to do so. Facts are; Villa are only going one way and that is up, and Arsenal are going in the opposite direction.
Villa win strengthen in the transfer window and we'll consolidate our position in the top 4, the only chance you Gooners have of finishing in the top 4 is if Chelski collapse.
Up the Villa.
P.S. Ever won the European Cup
Villa haven't even started playing well yet, when they do they won't need luck.
Arsenal always have a magic spell though, just have to wait and see if they'll have one this season.
Good point mate. I've been saying this for weeks now. It's about time they hit a wall, there is no way they can keep this run up.
Good to see so much space on an Arsenal blog site devoted to writing about a football team.
i love how most of the arsenal fans are so confident and stuck up their own arses......
i think they have gotten too used to nobody challenging the top four and cant accept when their team is really going down the shitter!
Get over yourselves, you knobs! The rest of the premiership werent just going to wait around for arsenal to make a bit of progress. Nearly every other team is moving on and up the table, arsenal never got on the bus. I wouldnt be surprised if arsenal found themselves as one of mid-table dwellers in a couple of years.
You guys are probably just about as frustratingly bad as your other London scumbags - Spurs... you spend loads of money yet stay in neutral and never get anywhere, now arsenal are in reverse and are rightly screwed!!!
Aero-Villa-Fan!
Sounds more like what you hope will happen!
And what luck? Enforced errors are not luck? Playing until the full-time whistle is luck?
I think if your boys were good enough you'd be doing the same.
Get those silver spoons out of yer gobs you bitter b@stards.
Aston guerrilla.
How was ashley youngs last minute winnner at everton luck? It was a quality class goals by a very good player! Scoring a goals like that and beating the defender like that is not luck because you have to be a decent player to be able to do that! Luck was purely when the bar and post saved you about 3 or 4 times against villa!! Arsenal have been lucky in their last 2 home games cause they played like crap and got a scruffy winner in the last ten minutes but nobody mentions that do they!Sounds like sour grapes to me!
Howdy folks, got an idea for a anti-tottenham song. To the tune of Mamma I'm Comming Home by Ozzy Osbourne.
"I could be wrong, I could be right, looks like tottenham are just shite. Tottenham's going down!"
Hi. Im a Villa fan, and tbh I agree with you. I dont think we'll last the pace.. and I'd be happy with top 6 again. But the fact that you wrote it says a big thing about Arsenal. Sure, you're better than Villa, sure, you'll def. go on a great run... but think about it.. How many times do Manure fans write posts trying to convice everyone they are better than Villa. You should be proud really.. you'll def finish top 4.. take the money and win sod all. We're happy with top 6 and Uefa cup.. but not as happy as Man Utd who are laughing there heads off at you and your trophyless cabinet. (and before you say.. what have you won.. we're not in your league so its a stupid thing to say.. (but if you do btw, just think of the Euro Cup you've never won))
who is the stupid scous who said they took 4 points from us in 2 games.
You shouldn't have left school so young. The merseyside giro brigade have made ure brain soft mate, ye lost 4 points too. Fucking stupid scouse.
The Aston Villa fan is absolutely right. Villa have punched above their weight and Have done brilliantly, I have the utmost respect for the team and the manager.
Ashley Young has really hit his stride and they could ask for no better leader than Garreth Barry, a player I would be happy to see at Arsenal. I applaud Villa and admire what O'Neil has done with this team.
Villa fans are right to be annoyed at comments left here by arsenal fans and I'm not sure if they will run out of steam. They are expected too and the players know this, so it takes some of the pressure off them.
Why are we bashing Villa for taken "our fourth spot" we should be pissed off at our team for putting themselves in this possition. Do you not think its a bit sad to be pissed off at team for being in FOURTH place???
We had one of the easiest starts to the season we should have one all of our firs 4 games, but we know what happened.
So, round of applause for Villa!!!
A lot of you continually talk about how key injuries to young, barry, gabby, etc will cause villa problems. ffs could you state anything more obvious? Every team struggles to be as good without their key players. Man U without Ronaldo, Arsenal without fabregas, liverpool without gerrard, chelsea without lampard etc etc etc.
I have only one thing to say.
Why is Villa your scape goat for a poor season?
I think if you read Wrighty's post and ignore the comments, wrighty's not blaming Villa for Arsenal's poor season but stating that if we hadn't had such a bad start we wouldn't be concerned with Villa. There were shock results against Fulham, Hull, Stoke at the start of season, that's why we've had such a bad season.
There is a Villa fan who calls his team little. I think he should check their history. The club, as far as history is concerned, is far from small. They have one of the best histories in the top flight. 7 top flight league wins, 7 FA Cups, 5 league cups and their crowning glory a European Cup from '82. Very impressive, might not be all recent but still impressive none the less.
We Gunner Be Kings....
im not trying to take a swipe at you since your the only modest arsenal fan ive ever come across. But you say that arsenal have had a few "shock" results and a bad start to the season with bad results to Hull Stoke and Fulham. My point is that dont forget Villa have had a few "shock" results too ie Stoke, Middlesborough, Newcastle but we just got on with it. We played brilliantly against the big teams and didnt use the bad results as an excuse for us not being higher in the table.
I think Arsenal fans should take a leaf out of our book and stop moaning like Wrighty is!
Aero-Villa-Fan
ive noticed all the comments are along the lines of arsenal not being at thier best and villa being lucky with results. Flip the coin and to us villa fans, we've been playing poor but getting results and arsenal are being lucky.
I look forward to both teams hitting form. and dont worry arsenal fans, the scousers will finish 5th, im still sure of it!
I would love to join in with this pointless argument but unfortunately we are only a point behind chelsea and have bigger fish to fry.
Lovely stuff.
We've finished 2nd in the premier league in 1992 you fucking spaztic. We've also won it 7 times, just under a different name (I doubt you'd know this, you are the defenition of a sky fan). O'Neill is a better manager than Wenger the peado and you lot are all shitting it because your club goes further backwards every, single day.
Good luck in the uefa cup!
And they you have the main reason Arsenal have gone down the sh*tter. 4th is like a win to you lot.. since when did finishing 4th become anything like winning a trophy. Shocking. No ambition and the future looks blean under Wenger - THE ONLY MANAGER TO HAVE LOST IN THREE EURO FINALS
Since my last comment I find it hilarious how this 'arsenal fan site' has been invaded by the villa faithful!!
looks like we have made our point which has got you foreign loving tossers shutting up for a change instead of constantly whinging about how lifes been so unfair and bla bla bla bla...
some of the worst fans in the country without a shadow of a doubt... boo boo boo when something goes wrong..
'shit support my lord, shit support, ohh lordd shit support'
LOL
the table doesnt lie... simple.
LMAO - Villa break into the top four and the pundits talk about the top three, we go third (albeit for a very short time, granted) and they talk about the top two.God help them if we have a purple patch and go top, they'll have to do MOTD with the bloody microphones turned off, or will they just switch to talking about the botton three?
LAUGH MY ASSSSSS OFFFF X 100 PAUL VILLA FAN U MAKE ME LAUGH ITS TRUE WHAT YOU HAVE SAID ABOUT BREAKING INTO TOP FOUR THEN TOP 3 THEN TOP 2 THEN TOP BUT MATE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IF YOU DONT HAVE THAT MENTALITY THEN YOU WONT WIN SHIT THATS WHY LOOK LAST SEASON WE GOONERS WE LEADIN THE RACE TIL FEB AND SINCE THE BIRMMINGHAM DAY EVERY1 WAS SAYING WE WAS GONNA WIN THE TITLE....BUT WE DIIDNT SO WHAT IM SAYING U NEED TO HAVE THAT MENTALITY TO SURVIVE IN THE TOP 4 U CANT SAY U WANT TO BE IN DA TOP 4 AND NOT WIN THE LEAGUE OTHER WISE U WONT END UP THERE THATS Y I THINK VILLA WILL BREAK AND LOOSE 4TH SPOT TO US OR CHELSEA..ANOTHER REASON IS THAT U HAVE PLAYERS LIKE ABAGONHALHAOR lollol SAYING SHIT LIKE EVEN IF WE DONT WIN THIS GAME ARSENAL WONT OVERTAKE US LOL WOT A CLOWN IN THE PREM TOP 4 U SAY SHIT LIKE THAT U WILL LOOSE HOMIE LOLOL SO SIMPLE U WONT WIN SHIT THIS YEAR
Post a Comment