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.

I want to win and think we can but I don't want to predict a win. Don't ask me why, I've just got this thing going on at the minute with predicting football results. I've predicted wins, draws and defeats and got them right and got them wrong in the past, but none of the games have meant this much in the past.

You might think I'm putting too much emphasis on this game and I may be, but a win on Sunday would be a terrific result for us and while a defeat isn't the end of the season, we'd need to win the last two and hope Everton lose at Arsenal and at home to Newcastle and I think you'll all agree, that is a big ask.

What this actually means is the entire season, in my little world, rests on us winning on Sunday. Three points would very much put us in the driving seat and put the pressure on Everton.

Granted, a draw isn't the end of the world and we've still got a very good chance of the Intertoto, but the draw would suit Everton more than us as they'd still be very much in the driving seat, even if the pressure on them to get the right results is still very much present.

It's also important not to forget Portsmouth in this final push for fifth, even if I fancy them to win the FA Cup. They play Blackburn at home earlier on Sunday, so there is every chance we could be going into the game in seventh place. A little more pressure but also a bigger incentive to get three points.

Now, to the match and going slightly against my opinion on a certain player, but if Gareth Barry plays like he has done in the last three matches and Ashely Young gets enough of the ball, I think we've got enough in the middle to not only compete but create and we all know what happens if we create enough chances.

I'm also hoping to see Petrov continue his role and Reo-Coker, while not a natural right sided player, is also doing a terrific job at the moment, so we have the momentum and I'm hoping we carry it into this game, and I think we can.

So, no prediction, but we should take a little comfort in knowing we've done much better against Everton since Martin O'Neill arrived; picking up seven points out of a possible nine.

Comments (24)

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Villain of the North said:

I'm really very uptight and nervous about this game. It's one of those i don't think i'd be able to watch live at all as these types of games just churn me up inside. Good luck to the lads, i just wanna see a good amount of effort. If that happens, whatever the result will be tolerable.

April 24, 2008

Jimmy Villain said:

We have a good record against Everton, it's paramount that we score first. I think the Villa will win this game, Everton are not playing well and we are coming off the back of a 15 goal flurry in the past 3 weeks and confidence is high. Ashley's new role is going to cause trouble for any team in the premiership and with Petrov, Barry and Carew also playing well I think this is looking like a 3-1 Villa win and 5th place.

April 24, 2008

olof the other reindeer said:

Squeaky bum time 2-2 draw

April 24, 2008

peachy rex said:

After prolonged consideration (five minutes over breakfast ), I think a draw would actually be worse than a loss. The nightmare scenario is for Portsmouth to finish fifth (sending themselves and Cardiff to the Uefa Cup) and Everton sixth (taking the Intertoto spot.) Which means that if we can't take fifth, it's much safer to leave it to Everton, rather than crack the door for Pompey to leapfrog us both. With that said, I think Villa should be a slight favourite... Everton just don't look themselves at the moment.

April 24, 2008

Jonny Law said:

with a draw we can still finish above Everton, easily I think. I don't think Pompie will do much in the league and will finish on 63, which after a draw on sunday is likely for everton too, losing to Arse and drawing with newcastle. I'm convinced that a draw will do us, we'll bneat wigan and probably WHU too. We've got a great chance

April 24, 2008

villafandan said:

i just hope we don't get complacent on the back of the last 3 games. let's not take anything away from the team, sure the opposition were poor, but no one else has spanked those 3 clubs the way we just have.

April 24, 2008

Holte1970 said:

There is massive pressure on Everton players. For the last couple of months their concentration has been looking up the league and sorting out Liverpool. Now, Liverpool are away and gone (as good as anyway) and Everton players are forced to look down the league and fret about losing all the good work they have done to now. It will be close.

April 24, 2008

Kieran McGrath said:

3-3 or 0-0 simple as

April 24, 2008

andy5759 said:

I'm with Peacvy Rex on this one. Win good, draw very very bad, loss not end of world.

April 24, 2008

mike S said:

Well it will be tough for the lads, but I fancy them for the uefa cup rather than everton. I think it will be either: everton2 - aston villa1 everton 0 - aston villa 0 Or a complete routing--everton1 - aston villa 3/4

April 24, 2008

pazzler said:

i really dont kno. current form means nothin in games like this. im prayin we win but we are good enuff to get a win at goodison. its jus gona be one nervy game. sundays r supposed to be relaxin god dammit, how insensitive to put this one on gods day of rest! oh an its gonna be a 0-0 me thinks

April 24, 2008

Arrlui said:

Taken from the BBC website: " "We just believed that if Cardiff did win the cup and were not given qualification for the Uefa Cup then for sporting reasons we would look to offer them a wild card." 606: DEBATE Give your views on Uefa's decision It is not all good news for Cardiff. If they lose the FA Cup final and Pompey finish fifth in the Premier League table, the Bluebirds will miss out on a place in Europe. Instead, the FA will give the Uefa Cup berth to the sixth-placed team in the Premier League." Not that it makes a s**te of difference considering Pompey didn't apply for the InterToenail but it pretty much gives us a crack at Europe next season assuming we don't lose to the Hammers and take at least a point from Wigan. We need to carry on our form and knock FIVE (5) past the Toffees. I think an auto spot is the season we all imagined, not the mirage of a Mickey Mouse cup entrance.

April 24, 2008

peachy rex said:

Actually, that makes a massive difference - the nightmare scenario is now only half as nightmarish. Seventh is enough unless Portsmouth finish fifth andlose the final. I feel much better now, thanks. (And I'm not too proud to take the Mickey Mouse route, not yet... although reasonable men may differ, no question.)

April 25, 2008

dan in perth said:

I sniff a lot of pessemism . It smells like a donkeys anus. villa 2-0 victors. mark my worms..

April 25, 2008

leawaylittleman said:

Everon 1 - 2 Villa Carew 47,89 He's bigger than me and you!

April 25, 2008

Darthy said:

Villa can win this game.... No Cahill, no Arteta....Evertons 2 best players, they are missing them big time. Ideal time to take the 3 points !!

April 25, 2008

AV4EVER said:

This is a six pointer if i have ever seen one. I think it will be a bit tight, Everton having a good defence and Villa being a bit tighter at the back in recent weeks, therefore i predict a draw. 0-0 1-1 2-2 3-3 who knows! Hope i'm wrong and we thrash them 4-0

April 25, 2008

kernowvilla said:

0-1 villa, young first 5 mins

April 25, 2008

Football Betting King said:

I'll make a prediction - 2-0 to the Villa. Easy ; Win this one and we're ahead on GD, with a far easier last 2 games (on paper). Portsmouth have Blackburn at home which won't be easy either. Huge weekend for us, and momentum is firmly in our favour after last weeks drubbing of some crappy team down the road..! I don't understand all that stuff about the intertoto and Cradiff this and that - its all too complicated. Lets just win our remaining games, starting with Everton tomorrow, and take 5th place on merit!

April 25, 2008 | url

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it said:

b******s everton havent applied for intertoto its only us blackbrn and city so we'll get europe whatever, even if we dont beat everton which i hope to god we do i still have watched interjoke-o football before and the clubs that enter it well arent setting very high standards so we'll destroy that. However since ash played U21 footie last summer it would be class for him to have a summer off ready to play european footie at his best rather than the lilelihood of him getting injured for playing too much. so a win at everton easy europe or a lose or draw and we're looking at a long season ahead with interjoke-o and then the prem

April 25, 2008

Arrlui said:

Skysports.com predicts: Everton 1 Villa 2 BBC Everton v Aston Villa Kick-off 1600 BST Verdict: 0-2

April 26, 2008

Arrlui said:

Le Tiss Predicts AWAY WIN - I'm erring towards a narrow Villa victory because they're in such good form and they're so dangerous on the counter-attack. 2-1 to Villa.

April 26, 2008

Ipbopmalik said:

Everton 0 Aston Villa 2 Agbonlahor 52,84 Att.39,476

April 26, 2008

tonebone said:

@steve jones - everton have applied for the intertotto along with us man city, blackburn, west ham. only pompey havent

April 26, 2008

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