It was only 3½ years ago that Aston Villa hosted Sheffield United in the first Premier League match after the 100-day Covid hiatus. Villa, in 19th, somehow managed to get away with a 0-0 draw after goal-line technology suffered a spectacular failure and did not award Oyvind Nyland’s own goal to the Blades. The point moved Chris Wilder’s side up to fourth and kept Villa in 19th from where they would eventualy climb to 17th and stay up by one point over Bournemouth (who had a better goal difference).
That was Villa’s great escape and since sacking Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard they have gone from strength to strength. Wilder, meanwhile, is back at United, ranting about sandwiches, and stuck in bottom place, 10 points from safety. It’s as if they’ve passed each other on converging escalators.
The Blades were done out of two points at Villa Park in December by Nicolo Zaniolo’s 97th-minute equaliser but haven’t kicked on since then with only one point from the next four games including tight defeats in winnable matches against Luton and Crystal Palace. They have made a couple of very good signings – Ben Brereton Diaz and Mason Holgate on loan and Ivo Grbic on a longer-term deal to keep goal, one of the areas they most urgently needed to upgrade. Unfortuntaley Grbic has suffered a concussion and cannot play until next week. With only 16 games left, they seem already cooked but if they are to open the escape hatch by a sliver to give them hope, they really need to win tonight.
That isn’t going to be easy against Villa even if Unai Emery’s side were well-beaten last time out by Newcastle. They haven’t been in the best of form, needing a Douglas Luiz late winner to beat Burnley in their only victory since that draw against Sheffield United, but they have also made an astute signing in Morgan Rogers. Pau Torres, Lucas Digne and Zaniolo are all out, according to Emery at yesterday’s press conference.