Damien
March 21, 2026
I was reading a few comments the other day, one in particular stood out and I can’t find it, but it was along the lines of others commenting that they just wanted us to play with a bit of heart or a decent level of football, but the commentator had never seen any comments to back that up when the football was decent or heart was in the game.
And it made me think (not deeply) that we are fourth for a reason. And while we haven’t had the run of results we might have wanted in recent times, I think most people would attribute that to the loss of our three midfielders. We were also very lucky that the teams around us didn’t do as well as they would have liked and for that we should be grateful to them.
But McGinn is back and Tielemans is back in training. If we can get past West Ham tomorrow with three points and it will be difficult, we could find ourselves in a very good position with seven games remaining.
And I know we all know this, but the season is about 38 games long. And it’s also that all the other teams have to play to 38 as well. That’s when you add up all the results of everything that matters. We’ve had a bad start and we’ve had a run recently that’s not unlike the beginning, but we’ve gotten through it and I have a feeling we’re going to get through it pretty soon too. That’s what matters at the end of the season.
And I feel optimistic.
That’s not to say the Premier League isn’t going to do what it wants and that’s why I chose the header image on the homepage. What the Premier League did to Everton and Nottingham Forest, not Chelsea, stinks. Chelsea cheated and they got away with it and it’s cheating that allows them to operate where they do.
Manchester City cheated and they are ready to get away with it too. Although part of me thinks it’s taking this long, it’s because they’re looking for reasons why they can’t be relegated.
But nothing will change because fans will continue to spend their money and that’s all the Premier League cares about. That and the money they get from overseas TV contracts. The Premier League makes fun of its supporters because they have power and there’s not much anyone can do.
Third quarter-final in three years
And I can’t write an article today without mentioning Lille. It was a great result and overall a very good performance. And, for the third consecutive season, we arrive at the quarter-finals. This time against Bologna and it’s not the first time we’ve played them recently. Our record is good, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way.
It’s going to be a tough few matches and they’re going to start coming thick and fast now, especially the longer we stay in this tournament. This is why the break the day after tomorrow comes at just the right time.
And with that, three points against West Ham would be a perfect gift before this break. I’ll come back then.
Match the BBC Facts
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Aston Villa are looking to complete the league double against West Ham for the first time since 2010-11, the last time the Hammers were relegated from the top flight.
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West Ham are winless in their last six Premier League games against Aston Villa, alternating between a draw (3) and defeat (3) each time.
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Despite being unbeaten in six Premier League matches against West Ham, Aston Villa have won just one of their last seven games against them at Villa Park (D3 L3).
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Aston Villa have lost three consecutive Premier League matches, as many as their previous 17 (11 wins, 3 draws). The Villans last suffered four consecutive league defeats in April 2022 (a run which included a 1-2 loss to West Ham), while Unai Emery has never done so in his entire league managerial career.
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West Ham have collected 15 points from their last nine Premier League matches (W4 D3 L2), one more than from their first 21 games this season (W3 D5 L13).
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No team has scored fewer Premier League goals so far in 2026 than Aston Villa (10). The Villans were the 5th highest scorers between August and December this season with 30.
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Despite using 32 different players in the Premier League this season, no team has had fewer different goalscorers than West Ham this season (10).
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Morgan Rogers’ eight Premier League goals this season have either put Aston Villa ahead (5) or leveled (3) in the match, the highest 100% record in the competition this season.
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Jarrod Bowen has been involved in seven goals in his last eight Premier League games (2 goals, 5 assists), providing an assist in each of his last three. The only West Ham player to provide an assist in four consecutive appearances is Vladimír Coufal in October 2023.
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West Ham’s Callum Wilson has scored four goals from 16 away shots in the Premier League this season (25% conversion), an average of one goal every 125 minutes on the road. At home, he scored one goal on 16 shots (6.3% conversion), an average of one goal every 501 minutes.
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