Villa drew 1-1 at the City Ground. The result was frustrating. The context is encouraging.

Villa came away from the City Ground with a point that felt like less than they deserved. An own goal. A Morgan Rogers chance that clipped the bar. A Watkins one-on-one that should have been buried. A McGinn effort that forced a brilliant save. The xG may have said 0.98 to Villa, but the show's assessment is it should have been three or four.

This Post-mortem episode of the My Old Man Said podcast show breaks down the three pivotal moments of the game — Rogers' contribution to Forest's equaliser, the recurring clinical edge problem, and the Emi Martinez situation that is becoming harder to ignore after a third warm-up withdrawal of the season.

There is also a broader assessment of what the draw means in context. Meanwhile, in the Europa League, Porto's unconvincing performance against Forest in the other quarter-final has shifted the Europa League picture.

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Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT

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The international break debrief — fixture analysis, form tables, and the stat that puts the West Ham win in optimistic context.

Two wins. Momentum restored. Six points clear of Chelsea, five of Liverpool, with seven games remaining and destiny firmly back in Villa's own hands. The question now is simple: can they do it themselves and not have to rely on others?

In this episode the show takes stock of where Villa are, where their rivals are, and what the fixture list actually looks like for the final stretch. We take a closer look at Chelsea's home form, with a double-header of Manchester City and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in their next two games. Liverpool are juggling the FA Cup and a two-legged PSG tie. United have been the form team since Christmas but face both Chelsea and Liverpool before the season is out.

Elsewhere: injury updates including the new recruits to sickbay and a Viking manuscript that has absolutely nothing to do with Aston Villa.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few.

Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The West Ham game was a non-negotiable. Once again, Chelsea and Liverpool had handed Villa the opportunity to take control of the Champions League race and unlike previous fumbles, this time they took it. A McGinn free-kick, a much-needed Watkins' goal, twenty-three shots, and a performance that looked more like the team that had won eleven games in a row than anything seen in the previous two months.

In this episode the My Old Man Said podcast show we break down what actually changed — why the tempo was different, why Sancho suddenly looks like the player clubs have paid six figures a week for, and what McGinn's return means beyond the obvious.

There is also a discussion of whether this is sustainable or whether it took a relegation-threatened West Ham side, forced into an unplanned formation after a warm-up injury, to make Villa look this good.

Elsewhere: Watkins dropped from England and what that means for his remaining season, Tielemans' neat twenty-minute cameo, the Digne versus Madsen question, and why Villa have scored more goals from outside the box than any other team in Europe's top five leagues.

Destiny is in Villa's own hands and it's time for them to do it themselves.

UTV

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Become a MOMS Member for ad-free & extra shows - MOMS Membership

Join the show’s listener Facebook group The Mad Few.

Credits:

David Michael - @myoldmansaid | Chris Budd - @BUDD_music / Phillip Shaw - @prsgame

This Podcast has been created and uploaded by My Old Man Said. The views in this Podcast are not necessarily the views of talkSPORT

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.