Swansea Boss Guidolin Mistakes Aston Villa With Some Other Team

MOMS Villa match preview with all the form, stats and quotes

By
Lewis Rymond
-

Swansea City v Aston Villa 2016

In a desperate bid to battle relegation, Swansea reluctantly sacked Monk, and while it seemed harsh at the time, recent form has been improving for the Swans – they’re now eight points clear of the relegation zone.

After a short spell in hospital Guidolin will return to the dugout for Saturday’s clash, and he’s called this game the most important of the season, which sounds like the Italian’s own false narrative. Is he getting us confused with someone else?

Villa’s tiresome descent into the Championship looks, on paper, set to continue. But with the likes of Tom Fox shown the Villa Park exit door, could Garde’s no-hopers capture some of the rare positivity surrounding the week’s news?

Swansea are unbeaten in six League games against Villa, and have won the last four in a row

Guidolin on Swansea

“We have an important game on Saturday, and it is the most important game of the season for us.
“We have to play well and we hope to get a good result to take into the last part of the season. But we have to just focus on this game because it won’t be easy.
“I know their situation, and I know how difficult matches like this can be. But I hope to see my team play well, with concentration and intensity.”

Garde on Swansea clash

“It’s always difficult to know what will happen in the game. It will be very tight probably with a lot of tension. They also need points. We do, of course.
“I have played against Andre and Jordan’s father. He was a terrific footballer, his dribbling skills were tremendous.
“I am not stupid. It’s an impossible mission that we have to make possible. You never know in football.
“We need to win games – at home or away, it doesn’t matter. We are in an urgent situation.
“I still believe. I have said that since the first day. I am focused on saving the club from relegation.
“From the time when things are certain, you can say we are in that league or this league. I am focused on the next game. I am not speculating.

Memory Match

01 Jan 2013 Swansea 2 Villa 2 

A late equaliser from Danny Graham robbed Villa of all three points.

Swansea – Last five matches at home: W 2, D 1, L 2

Villa – Last five matches away: D 1, L 4  

Villa have never won at the Liberty Stadium in the Premier League.

One to Watch

Gylfi Sigurdsson – The Icelandic midfielder has scored seven goals in his last 11 Premier League appearances and is known to some Swans as Siggy Stardust.

Facts to Sweep Under the Carpet

It seems strangely fitting that the last time Villa won at Swansea was in the Third Division in 1971.

Yes, it would be overly dramatic to suggest back-to-back relegations could beckon for the Villans, but it will take more than board changes to make a difference for Villa.

To say Villa have not enjoyed their away trips would be an understatement. We’ve picked up just three points out of the last 42 available from away games – and none of them were victories.

Swansea’s relegation worries have been all but eased thanks to recent results, including an impressive 2-1 win away at the Emirates.

Villa meanwhile have tried their best to speed up the relegation process with five consecutive defeats – conceding two or more goals in each of those games.
For the third successive season, we’ve lost 20 league games. The last time we did worse than this was in the late eighties, but you can bet the cruel hands of football fortune are plotting ways to keep the bad times coming.
Not since December 2013 have Villa won away when the opposition has scored, which is worrying considering our phobia of clean sheets.
Remarkably, Swansea are unbeaten in their last six league games against Villa, and have enjoyed four consecutive victories in this fixture…

“it is the most important game of the season for us.” – Guidolin

Why Villa Have Got This Game in the Bag (for the optimistic)

A while ago we called Villa the footballing equivalent of Murphy’s Law, but could it work both ways?

Swansea are sitting surprisingly comfortably considering they’re in 16th place, and with Premier League survival all but secured, it’s conceivable that they could take their foot off the gas.

Guidolin has bizarrely proclaimed the match as the most important so far, but it’s likely his side will be more than confident of all three points. But underestimate Villa at your peril!

Garde has said the situation is now urgent, which he says every week, so surely we’re bound to see this reflected in the players at some point?!

Call us optimistic, but Swansea have only won three of their last 13 league matches at the Liberty Stadium.

In addition to this, their tally of six goals in eight league home matches is rather low for a team known for attractive, free-flowing football.

Villa’s wins this season have come against teams in Swansea’s general league position. With no more sense of expectancy surrounding a long-suffering Villa side, perhaps a win might just materialise…

UTV.

Follow Lewis on Twitter – @rymondfootball

Follow MOMS on Twitter – @oldmansaid

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR