ASTON VILLA v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Wednesday 29th January 2014, 7:45pm
Villa Park

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 162nd league and cup meeting between the two clubs. Villa currently have the edge in terms of victories with 74 compared to Albion's 52.

Albion are unbeaten in the last six league games against Villa. The Baggies have never gone seven league games undefeated against the men from Aston.

All of the 15 Premier League meetings between the clubs have ended in a draw or a 2-1 scoreline.

The Baggies' last game on this date came in 2008 when they lost 2-1 to Preston North End at Deepdale. Their last win on January 29 came in 2002 when a Jason Roberts goal gave Albion a 1-0 win over Birmingham City at The Hawthorns.

Villa's last game on this date took place last year when they suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle United.

Albion have conceded first in each of their last seven away games.

Eight of the 15 Premier League meetings between the sides have been drawn, including the last four.

Villa have scored less goals at home (8) than any other Premier League club this season.

In the last six meetings between the two clubs, the team to score first has failed to win.

Albion's last six games: Everton (H) 1-1; Southampton (A) 0-1; Crystal Palace (H, FAC) 0-2; Newcastle United (H) 1-0; West Ham United (A) 3-3; Tottenham Hotspur (A) 1-1

Villa's last six games: Liverpool (A) 2-2; Arsenal (H) 1-2; Sheffield United (H, FAC) 1-2; Sunderland (A) 1-0; Swansea City (H) 1-1; Crystal Palace (H) 0-1

TEAM NEWS

Albion

French striker Nicolas Anelka is expected to figure despite being charged by the Football Association over his 'quenelle' celebration.

Gareth McAuley and Goran Popov are both available after recent injuries but Stephane Sessegnon is missing following surgery on a groin problem.

Squad from: Foster, Myhill, Reid, Olsson, Popov, Ridgewell, Lugano, McAuley, Dawson, Jones, Yacob, Morrison, Sinclair, Brunt, Dorrans, Amalfitano, Mulumbu, Gera, Anichebe, Vydra, Berahino, Anelka.

Aston Villa

Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor is a doubt ahead of the game because of the foot injury he suffered against Liverpool, recent loan signing Grant Holt could figure if Agbonlahor misses out.

Defender Nathan Baker is available following concussion.

Squad from: Guzan, Steer, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Luna, Bertrand, Lowton, Bacuna, El Ahmadi, Albrighton, Westwood, Delph, Sylla, Holt, Gardner, Tonev, Helenius, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Benteke, Bowery.

QUOTES

Baggies' boss Pepe Mel:

“It’s a big game for us, for the fans, the club and players. We need to win. The second half against Everton was good and this is the way forward for us to win matches. This match is also important because of the table.

“I’ve watched Villa’s last two games at Villa Park against Arsenal and at Anfield against Liverpool and they are very good on the counter-attack. They are very good on the long play and with the second ball through [Christian] Benteke. The players know this question and this week have worked hard on the pitch to stop the second ball and stop the counter-attack.

“The difference with derbies - at least what happens in Seville - is perhaps the wife is a Betis fan and the husband is a Seville fan or one brother is a Betis fan and the other is a Seville fan. I don’t know whether that happens here. Certainly in Seville the games ignite a lot of passion. The derby results last for six months because for the team who is on the losing side it means their supporters have a bad time for those six months.

“I didn’t enjoy derbies as a player because I was usually on the losing side, with Betis being a smaller club. Seville had players such as Maradona and Simeone, we had much more run of the mill players. But I do know they are very enjoyable when you win - and enjoyable for the fans. I hope we win on Wednesday night and I hope to be able to give the fans a good time.  I hope the West Bromwich Albion fans are able to do the Boing Boing.”

www.wba.co.uk

Villa boss Paul Lambert:

"You want to give your home fans a win - that's your majority. The away supporters are great, always have been and always will be. But it's the home fans that you try and appease. That's something we have to rectify. If it was role reversal and the home form was great and the away form was poor, there wouldn't be so much of a clamour to nit-pick at certain things. The atmosphere won't need lifting. It will be there anyway.  We will have the majority on our side this time. They will be right behind us, I have no doubt about that.

"They have been good games - exciting games. That was especially the case with the last one where we were two-down and pulled it right back. The one before that, they were two-down and pulled it back. They are unpredictable. It doesn't matter who is in form. In a derby game anything can happen. But we have a lot of confidence from the other week. That's evident.

"I have never met him. I knew of his reputation in Spain. I was surprised at Stevie [Clarke] going when he went. Anyone who watches football - scrutinises it - knows who's out there. You're not a bad manager if you manage in the Spanish league. It's his reputation that is there for everyone to see in Spain. The Premier League and West Brom is new to him.  We will see. It could have an effect. But regardless of who is in charge, a derby game will take care of itself.

"The atmosphere will lift everyone. It doesn't matter who's in the technical area. It's a derby."

www.avfc.co.uk

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 9/5, Aston Villa Win: 13/8, Draw: 21/10.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Anelka 7/1, Anichebe 7/1, Berahino 15/2, Vydra 9/1, Brunt 14/1, Morrison 14/1, Sinclair 14/1, Gera 16/1, Amalfitano 20/1, Mulumbu 25/1, McAuley 25/1, Dawson 25/1, Jones 33/1, Lugano 33/1, Yacob 33/1.

Aston Villa: Benteke 9/2, Weimann 13/2, Agbonlahor 13/2, Holt 7/1, Helenius 8/1, Bowery 12/1, Tonev 14/1, Gardner 14/1, Bacuna 14/1, Albrighton 16/1, El Ahmadi 20/1, Delph 20/1, Westwood 25/1, Clark 25/1, Sylla 25/1, Herd 33/1, Luna 33/1, Lowton 33/1, Vlaar 33/1, Bertrand 33/1.

williamhill.com

REFEREE

Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)

Clattenburg has refereed Albion once so far this season - the 2-0 defeat at home to Norwich City last month.

The County Durham official has taken charge of two Villa games during 2013/14 - the goalless draw at Hull City in October and the 1-0 defeat at home to Liverpool in August.

So far this season Clattenburg has issued 73 yellow cards and one red card in the 22 games he has officiated.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for the game are now sold out.

WEATHER FORECAST

Light rain, 3°C

FIXTURE HISTORY

(Click on game to view)

Sunday 21 September 2008 - Albion 1-2 Aston Villa - Premier League - The Hawthorns
Sunday 10 April 2005 - Aston Villa 1-1 Albion - Premier League - Villa Park
Saturday 17 February 1990 - Albion 0-2 Aston Villa - FA Cup 5th Round - The Hawthorns
Saturday 27 August 1983 - Aston Villa 4-3 Albion - First Division - Villa Park
Saturday 2 October 1982 - Albion 1-0 Aston Villa - First Division - The Hawthorns
Saturday 25 November 1978 - Albion 1-1 Aston Villa - First Division - The Hawthorns

LAST MEETING AT VILLA PARK

Aston Villa 1-1 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 30th September 2012, 4:00pm

Aston Villa: Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Bennett; El Ahmadi, Delph (Bannan 71); Albrighton (N’Zogbia 66), Holman, Agbonlahor; Benteke (Bent 68). Subs not used: Given (gk), Lichaj, Westwood, Weimann.

Goalscorer: Bent 80

Booked: Delph 23 (foul)

Albion: Foster; Jones (Tamas 45+2), McAuley, Olsson, Popov; Mulumbu, Yacob; Gera, Morrison, Brunt (Dorrans 40); Long (Lukaku 72). Subs not used: L Daniels (gk), El Ghanassy, Fortune, Rosenberg.

Goalscorer: Long 51

Booked: Tamas 90+4 (foul)

Attendance: 34,489

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)

Record signing Darren Bent came off the substitutes' bench to rescue a 1-1 draw for Aston Villa in a pulsating Barclays Premier League derby with West Brom at Villa Park. Bent was axed by Villa boss Paul Lambert with Gabriel Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke preferred upfront. But he had only been on the pitch 11 minutes when he fired the equaliser in front of England head coach Roy Hodgson to cancel out Shane Long's opener. Villa deserved a share of the spoils after dominating the second period. Long looked as if he had settled the issue on returning to the ground where he suffered a knee ligament injury last season which sidelined him for six weeks before Bent's intervention. A point maintained Albion's fine start to the campaign - 11 points from six games - but Villa will also take plenty of encouragement from the performance of their new-look side.

Benteke was only inches away from connecting with an early dipping cross from Villa striker Agbonlahor. But Albion were the first to settle and Long missed a decent opportunity to put them ahead after six minutes. A deep centre from Baggies skipper Chris Brunt was headed back across goal by James Morrison to Long but he sent his header wide when he should have at least hit the target. Albion were in the ascendancy in the early stages and debutant Goran Popov appealed in vain for a penalty after his cross appeared to strike the arm of Marcus Albrighton. Villa started to settle and Albion keeper Ben Foster finger-tipped a long-range drive from Brett Holman over the bar. Home midfielder Fabian Delph became the first player to be yellow carded after 26 minutes for a challenge on Brunt. Albion were forced into a change five minutes before the interval when Brunt sustained a leg injury blocking a cross from Matthew Lowton and was replaced by Graham Dorrans. Foster made a fine save when he had to readjust to turn away a shot from Holman which took a deflection off Billy Jones. Benteke then carved out an opening for himself and winning a touch-line battle with Gareth McAuley but could not keep his shot down after cutting into the area. Jones became the second Albion player to hobble off on the stroke of half-time with a knee injury and he was replaced by Gabriel Tamas.

Long had the ball in the net five minutes into the second period only to have strayed a yard offside. But the former Reading player made no mistake when breaking the deadlock 60 seconds later with his fourth goal of the season. Morrison appeared to be just offside when he picked up the ball and ran towards the Villa boss before sending a low cross into the danger area. Centre-back Ron Vlaar only got the slightest of touches on his attempted clearance and Long was positioned behind him to make no mistake. Villa tried to retaliate and Joe Bennett was only just off target with a curling free-kick. But Long should have done better when again well placed and he scuffed his shot through to Brad Guzan. Lambert brought on Bent mid-way through the second half in place of Benteke and he quickly made an impact with an 80th-minute equaliser. Ciaran Clark's volley from a Barry Bannan corner was blocked but Bent was perfectly placed to convert the loose ball. Albion came close to regaining the lead when substitute Romelu Lukaku's shot deflected off Clark on to a post. The on loan Chelsea striker also shot against the legs of Guzan.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Albion keeper Boaz Myhill started his career at Villa Park progressing through the club's youth system. The American-born Welsh international failed to make a first team appearance for Villa and in December 2003, after a number of loan spells at different clubs, he moved to Hull City in a £50,000 deal. Myhill spent a successful seven years at Hull before joining the Baggies in July 2010 for a rumoured £1.5 million fee.

Baggies' defender Liam Ridgewell joined Aston Villa as a 16 year old after leaving West Ham United's youth system. The Bexleyheath-born player spent six years at Villa Park before making the short move to arch-rivals Birmingham City. Ridgewell spent five and a half years at St Andrews before moving to The Hawthorns in January 2012.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Albert Aldridge, Darren Bradley, Franz Carr, Scott Carson, Andy Comyn, Paul Crichton, Jim Cumbes, Neil Cutler, Curtis Davies, John Deehan, Jack Devey, Derek Dudley, Jimmy Dugdale, Lloyd Dyer, Ugo Ehiogu, Albert Evans, Graham Fenton, George Garratt, Bill Garraty, Andy Gray, Tommy Green, Willie Groves, Harry Hadley, George Harris, Tom Haywood, Robert Hopkins, Steve Hunt, George Johnson, Phil King, Zat Knight, Arthur Loach, Ken McNaught, Luke Moore, Tony Morley, Dennis Mortimer, Tom Perry, Kevin Phillips, Tony Rees, Cyrille Regis, John Reynolds, Bob Roberts, Riccardo Scimeca, Nicky Shorey, Jimmy Spencer, Nigel Spink, Kenny Swain, Garry Thompson, Andy Townsend, Gavin Ward, Dave Walsh, Steve Watson, Freddie Wheldon, Jimmy Williams and Charlie Wilson.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS ASTON VILLA