Aston Villa: Blistering home form remains key to promotion

An outstanding victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend further emphasized Aston Villa’s terrific home form. A final push towards the automatic promotion places could hinge on a 100% record at Villa Park until the end of the season.

The jubilation at full-time on Saturday night underlined the feel-good factor that is rife amongst all Villans – staff and fans – at this crucial moment of the season. Victory against league leaders Wolves was the culmination of a blistering surge of form since the start of the year.

Fortress Villa Park

Aston Villa have secured sixteen out of eighteen points since January.

A draw with Preston North End was the single occasion that the club have dropped points. Only five home games remain, now. Therefore, it is essential that Villa come as close to winning all the available home points as possible.

Easier said than done! The run begins with the rescheduled QPR match Tuesday evening. It is no secret that Ian Holloway has not endeared himself to Villa fans in recent years and his side will want to play with a resilient style. Nonetheless, they will meet a Villa side that has been scoring for fun in recent weeks. With Jack Grealish back from his knock, the team looks like it could eventually unlock the defense of any Championship side. And the fans can take extra strength from the fact that the team have not lost when the youngster has played this season. He has really come alive this season and helped to keep Villa Park rocking.

Even Stiffer Challenges To Come

Much has been said about the wave of home fixtures against the top Championship sides. Certainly, it appears to have played into our hands thus far, with successes against sides such as Bristol City and Wolves. The latter would have been targeted as a crucial game in the promotion race. However, other major battles, against Cardiff, Leeds and Derby are yet to come. A few weeks ago, the fixture against Derby appeared to be the most important. The ever-changing situation in the Championship dictates that Cardiff may now be the crucial game. Arguably, the make-up of the automatic promotion and play-off places will not be decided by any single game. Nonetheless, anybody who has anything to do with Aston Villa knows that these home fixtures are must win games.

We must not underestimate our roles as fans at this stage of the season, either. The electric atmosphere at the weekend appears to have really galvanized the players on Saturday night.

These feelings were reciprocated by John Terry’s incredible celebrations in front of the Holte End at full-time. It is this fantastic communal atmosphere which will intimidate our opposition both on and around the pitch.

Next: Aston Villa vs. Wolves Player Grades

Promotion Hopes

Upcoming games at home will be testing for the lads in Claret and Blue. But with Villa Park finally reestablished as the fortress it once was, why should it not be able to handle each barrage on the way to promotion?