Shot shy Villa
Watching Aston Villa this season has not been much fun for their supporters, or to be completely blunt, for anyone at all.
A paltry 11 goals in 21 Premier League games tells its own story of just little goal power Paul Lambert’s side have been able to muster.
December 20 when Christian Benteke scored in the 18th minute against Manchester United was the last time a Villa player found the net in a league game.
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Since then they have failed to score in their past five games, culminating in Saturday’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool.
The goal drought stands at 522 minutes, and to put that in context you could watch all three of Peter Jackson’s recent Hobbit movies back to back, and still have 50 minutes to kill, in the time Villa have been on the pitch without troubling the scorers.
The only reason Villa are not in the relegation zone is their defence, which has conceded only 25 goals, the joint fifth best figure in the league.
But Lambert must find a way for his side to score. They are only three points clear of the relegation zone, but without goals they are in real danger of being dragged into a fight to preserve their top flight status.
Spurs leave it late again
If Tottenham Hotspur do get back in the Uefa Champions League spots this season, then Mauricio Pochettino can point to the adage of his side’s ability to find the net late in a game.
Christian Eriksen’s 88th-minute winner in the 2-1 triumph over Sunderland on Saturday was the fifth time this season they have claimed three points with a strike in the last five minutes.
That is an extra 10 points they have accumulated from turning five draws into five victories worth 15 points, and is the difference between mid-table mediocrity and being a top-six contender.
In many ways, the late goals have covered up some of the cracks at Spurs as Pochettino has struggled to find his strongest side since taking over in the summer from Tim Sherwood.
Tottenham have visibly improved as the season has gone on, the deserved 5-3 win over leaders Chelsea on New Year’s Day was one of the best performances of the season.
They now have a great chance to kick on in the second half of the season, and they can do that thanks to their knack of finding the net late on.
Monk’s honesty
In the excuse-ridden world of modern football, where there is nearly always an excuse for every mistake or infringement, it was refreshing to see Garry Monk, the Swansea City manager so candid after his side had been walloped 5-0 by Chelsea.
Yes, the scoreline was not pretty, but losing to the best side in England at present on paper is no disgrace, but to hear Monk apologise to his supporters and even Jose Mourinho for not giving the league leaders much of a contest, was pleasing.
Swansea have been superb since coming into the top flight in 2011 and have never been near a relegation scrap yet, and it is clear that Monk’s public displeasure at a rare bad day at the office means he has high standards, even against someone of Chelsea’s calibre, means they should not fear a period of struggle any time soon.
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