Aston Villa vs. West Bromwich Albion: Open Match Thread

ASTON VILLA

OVERALL: 1-1-3, -4 GD

POSITION: 15th

LAST 5: -L-W-D-L-L

West Brom

OVERALL: 3-1-1, +3 GD

POSITION: 6th

LAST 5: W-L-W-D-W

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• Get the ball wide. Good lord, Villa, please get the ball wide. You've got a couple of big guys in there, and they're both more than capable of making things happen in the box. Spread things out and give them space.
• West Brom's counter is no joke. Peter Odemwingie can straight-out fly, and Shane Long is a tricky little guy that can make things happen when he' given some space. With Romelu Lukaku-who is, by the way, one of the most impressive physical specimens I have ever seen and whose rise to stardom has only been delayed by the gap between his legitimately tremendous footballing instinct and his comic book-esque physique-leading the line, Villa needs to be air-tight along the back.
• Whichever keeper starts, it's bound to be a story. And their performance
• Lambert switched up the tactics against Everton; does he go with yet another new approach?