Good Month For Villa
Aston Villa had a very good November, playing six matches and winning four of them with one draw and one defeat.
Aston Villa started with the away cup match against Birmingham City, where they ran out easy 4-1 victors as already reported in the last update.
They then came up against a Newcastle side who were in forth place, one point ahead of the Villans so this was a big match and it was Daniel Sturridge who got the nod to play up front for The Villans. Aston Villa had chance after chance in the first half through Grealish, Rotariu and Sturridge but were unfortunate to go in at half time still goalless.
I have no idea what McGrath must have said to his side because they were out 5 minutes before getting ready for the half and they started at 100mph which most definitely paid off. In the 50th minute Volland and Rakitic played some awesome football and supplied the cross for Sturridge to head home for 1-0. Caulker then got the deciding goal on the 90th minute by heading home a Will Hughes free-kick.
Villa then hosted Atletico Madrid in the Champions League knowing that if they lost, they would be out.
Rakitic has been doing well for Villa this season
It was the most lacklustre performance by them of the season. 55,000 fans flocked in to see utter garbage from this expensively put together squad, which also included the poorest performers being Sterling, Rakitic and Sturridge. The Villa fans booed them off at half time after a 2-0 defeat that put them out of the Champions League with two games still to play!
Villa responded well against West Brom and Kevin Volland scored after just five minutes with a mazy run and finish but West Brom, through Brown Ideye and Jack Colback gave West Brom a half time lead. Villa came out in the second half on fire, Rakitic was bought on for Cleverley, who was just returning from injury and it was the Croatian, signed for £17,000,000 got the equaliser and was unfortunate not to win it, but it was a great match by both sides.
Villa then entertained Stoke, in what can only described as an absolute epic. Jack Butland had not been beaten in six matches but that changed here as Villa smashed 4 past Stoke in a 4-3 victory. Volland struck his second goal in two matches on the 18th minute to give Villa a 1-0 lead at half time. After half time Sturridge and Grealish made it 3-0 but Stoke got two back to give Villa a fright but then they went defensive and hit The Potters on the break and then fed the ball into young striker Alex Rowe to tuck away for his first of the season and the forth for Villa to record a impressive victory.
Volland has been scoring this month
Aston Villa then won there first Champions League match, even though it is too late to qualify but it means there pride can be in tact as they thrashed Olympiakos 2-0 with goals from Rakitic and Grealish. They also hit the woodwork another 4 times so the result could have been so much better than it was.
Chelsea and Manchester United are first and second with Arsenal and Villa just behind them in third and forth respectively. Liverpool find themselves in big trouble down in 19th place, with just Leicester behind them. Man City are eight with Spurs down in eleventh.
Villa Player Of The Month
I am going to give this to Steven Caulker. He has been a rock at the back this month and is surely a future captain at The Villans. It will be interesting to see how he will perform in December.