If there was ever a time we needed to go to London and get three points, this Sunday is it. Defeat could, if results go against us, see us finishing in eight place with no European football, of any description, for next season.

We've come close this season against Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea but it's yet to happen under Martin O'Neill. Yet to happen since 2004 I think.

Yes, I am making a big thing about Mellberg leaving, but he really has had a wonderful career at Villa and it is going to be his last time wearing claret and blue at Villa Park. I also know he's a favourite to a lot of people, so I'm milking the moment.

Also, seeing as he's agreed to answer some of our questions and is a big fan of the site, we want to make it a big day for him, which is why you've got this flag you can download and display, if you've not arranged anything else.

Last week was a big game and a terrific result, but this game is bigger, mostly because if we win we go fifth and fifth is European football next season.

Now, while that is the first time I've written the word 'terrific' on this site since it started in 2005, this is also going to be the first pre-match prediction post I write where I don't actually predict how I think the match will turn out.

This could so easily turn into a demonstration of fan baiting but it's not supposed to be. The simple truth of all things football in Birmingham is that Aston Villa are and always will be the top side.

Birmingham City are the Everton of Liverpool or the Manchester City of Manchester. There is nothing wrong with this, it's just the natural order of things and if history has shown us anything, we know it's not really going to change.

Despite the win and the fine performance last weekend, as an Aston Villa fan I've become accustomed to not getting my hopes up. Therefore, I've approached this with some hesitation.

I still fear we'll play a decent team and revert to long and hopeful balls and despite all the positive talk from the players this week, talk is cheap, however positive and nice the sentiments.

Both teams are calling this a 'must win' match but which team needs it more? Bolton are struggling and while I predicted they'd get relegated by appointing Sammy Lee, I honestly thought they got rid of him in enough time, seems I may have been wrong.

Gary Megson is a decent enough manager and he'll have his players up for this match. Three of them will have a point to prove while the others will all fancy they can come and get three points, based on current form and with a little luck.

I'm on holiday today, away from the normal toil of day to day life, but I couldn't not post my prediction, as I've done it before every match now for nearly three seasons.

This one is also a difficult one to write because I don't think I've predicted a defeat all season, but I just can't see the players doing it tomorrow. In fact, I think we'll get spanked.

If the last couple of results had gone as I'd have hoped for I'd be confidently predicting three points for Saturday, against a team who are struggling for Premier League survival.

But they didn't and as Aston Villa fans, we've seen this wobble before and we know what can happen.

Where do I begin with this? First, I'm not going to waffle on about the obvious; we all know if we lose Portsmouth will go ahead of us and our chances of European football next season will reduce further.

All negative thoughts now gone, let's look at why we can win. Portsmouth have only beaten us once in the Premier League at home and that was in 2003, we are scoring this season and you can bet your last fiver on the fact that Martin O'Neill will have the lads up for this after the dismal performance against Middlesbrough.