2017 was largely a year to forget for Aston Villa Football Club. Mired in mediocrity in-between two extended winning streaks, Steve Bruce managed the club for all 50 first-team matches through the year. We take a look back on the year’s results, trends, positives, and negatives.
2017 began with defeat in Cardiff, Wales and finds itself ending Saturday in a home match-up against the Tony Pulis-led Middlesbrough. From January to December, Aston Villa compiled 18 wins, 11 draws, and 17 losses in EFL Championship play.
Moreover, the club recorded two Carabao Cup victories over Colchester United and Wigan Athletic, and a loss in the same competition to Boro. Villa bailed out in the FA Cup third-round to Tottenham Hotspur last January. So, let’s do the math!
2017 Championship Win Percentage: 39.13% (18/46)
2017 Overall Win Percentage: 40.00% (20/50)
Ouch. Certainly not disastrous, but far from the illustrious past of former Villa squads. In fact, the Championship win percentage is likely below Steve Bruce’s second division career norm, taking out the time he managed in the Premier League.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look back at the year’s best victory and other positives from 2017: