Tonight’s clash at Villa Park feels bigger than just another early-season fixture. After two uninspiring performances, Villa need to deliver both a result and a performance to match. The Newcastle draw was flat, the Brentford defeat poor. Now we’re at home, there can be no excuses.
Palace, meanwhile, come into this one as the form side. With a good run of results and their Charity Shield win over Liverpool, they must be feeling really confident. Palace have looked disciplined and hard-working, the sort of team that will punish any complacency. If Villa play with the same intensity shown against Brentford, we’ll be in real trouble.
That’s why Emery’s side must set the tone from the first whistle. We need urgency in possession, pressing with purpose, and far more invention going forward. Watkins has to be involved early, our wide players (with Malen on the right hopefully) need to stretch the pitch, and the midfield must move the ball quicker.
Beyond tactics, though, it’s about mentality. Too often in recent weeks the players have looked flat, almost as if they’re going through the motions. That cannot happen tonight. Emery has to shake the squad out of this malaise and remind them what standards got us here in the first place.
We don’t just need three points against Palace — we need a statement. A performance that restores belief, lifts the mood, and shows that Villa are still serious about competing. UTV
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