Aston Villa Year in Review 2020

2020 was certainly an extraordinary year of transition for Aston Villa. Heading for relegation in March, Dean Smith managed to utilise the time afforded to him by a global pandemic to rethink his team’s approach and subsequently forge an unlikely escape from relegation. A couple of months later, after a successful summer upgrading the first team ranks, Villa were suddenly beating the Premier League (and World Club Champions) Liverpool 7-2, dominating Arsenal 3-0, a scoreline they’ve beat three other teams by in their eight wins this season.

With Villa looking to secure a top half position going into 2021, the current team with the additions of Martinez, Watkins, Cash, Barkley and Traore is a different animal from the one that started 2020. It’s a team that serves up real possibility. With Tom Heaton and Wesley returning and the possibility of another reinforcement or two in the January window, this Villa team has a real chance of at least eclipsing their best Premier League finish in the past decade of 9th under Gerard Houllier.

As well as discussing that prospect, the MOMS podcast team looks back at a madcap 12 months for Aston Villa football club over the two-part Unapologetic and Dysfunctional Villa Christmas Special.

There’s also awards for 2020…who was the ‘Villa Player of the Year…That Isn’t Jack Grealish’? Who was the ‘Most Improved Player That Needed to Improve’? What were Villa’s best pieces of business – in and out of the club – in 2020? What were the ‘Best Limbs Moments of 2020’?

What were the worst VAR decisions Villa were involved in? What player surprisingly won the ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’?

There’s also a few old school MOMS favourites resurrected such as Five Reasons to be Cheerful in 2021, the Good, Bad and the Ugly and a ‘Villa Year in a Villa Minute’. Oh, and we discuss Grealish’s ‘one game only’ Cornish Pasty haircut.

There’s lots more and a ton of laughs along the way. Consider it an extension of your Christmas.

Happy New Year!

UTV

PART ONE

PART TWO

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Credits:

David Michael – @oldmansaid 

Chris Budd – @BUDD_music

Phillip Shaw – @prsgame

Dan Rodgers – @avfc_vilr