Out of the Bottom Three, Cup Week Ahead

Before we get to anything else, I want to make sure you saw our newest contributor's piece on Villa's struggles with possession. We're really excited to have him on board, and I think you'll love what he brings to the site. Please check it out here.

Moving on to life after the WBA match.

The good news: Aston Villa moved out of the bottom three!

The acceptable news: Aston Villa managed a point in the match at West Brom.

The bad news: From the way it felt, the draw may as well have been a loss.

This is an important week coming up. If Aston Villa can play lights-out in the League Cup semifinal second leg, they could help us forget our woes for a bit. If they lose there - or simply don't advance - then beating Millwall on Friday becomes of paramount importance. Given the lack of transfer movement and the seeming lack of ambition by this squad, I don't think the fan base can withstand dropping out of two cups in one week. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

Just The Facts, Please

Form (Last 5): L L D L D

Results Last Week: West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Aston Villa (EPL)

Upcoming Fixtures:

• First Team:
  Bradford City (League Cup Semis, 2nd Leg) - Tuesday, January 22, 1945 GMT, 1445 Eastern
  
  at Millwall (FA Cup Fourth Round) - Friday, January 25, 1945 GMT, 1445 Eastern

Match Notes

West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Aston Villa (EPL)

• Well, we had this:
  
  
  
• And this:
  
  
  
• But in the end it felt like a kick in the balls, thanks to Aston Villa's inability to play two equal halves of football. In the first half, the team looked like the one that cruised to the semifinals of the League Cup and trounced Liverpool at Anfield. In the second half, they looked like the sort of side that loses 3-1 to Bradford City.
• I mentioned this on twitter, but what's really frustrating about Gabriel Agbonlahor is that he'll score goals like that second one you see from time to time. But the rest of the time, he looks lost. Where is super-Gabby all the time? Does he go into hiding?
• And you know what, that's the frustrating thing about this team in general. They've obviously got a lot of talent. We've seen some incredible goals, and some fantastic 45-minute spells of football. You know, the kind of football that reaffirms our love for the sport and for the team. Where in the world is that team on a regular basis?
• You can find our recap here.

Looking Ahead

• Well, Friday's match is neat. And moving on in the FA Cup, and moving on to the fifth round would be lovely. But let's be honest. All anyone cares about is Tuesday's match.
• I may have this wrong (and if so, chime in in the comments!), but Villa need to win 3-1 to secure a penalty shootout. If they win by more than two goals, they'll win straight-up, and if they win by two goals but allow none, they'll do the same. Heartbreak occurs, however, if they win 4-2 or something, because then Bradford advances on away goals.
• You know what would make this all really easy? A 4-0 victory. Come on Villa. Just give us something to be happy for this season.