Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion were both beaten on the final day of the regular Championship season.
Darren Moore has warned West Brom that Aston Villa have the ‘two ingredients’ needed to win their up and coming playoff semi-final encounters.
The former Baggies manager pointed towards Villa’s ability to score goals and keep it tight at the back in recent weeks which could serve them well for these nerve-racking games.
On the final day of the regular season, both Villa and Albion suffered defeats, with Dean Smith making a number of changes to his squad and Jimmy Shan fielding a strong XI.
Speaking on EFL Special on Sky Sports News (06/05/2019 at 12:15 pm), Moore stated what Albion and Villa have at their disposal ahead of these mouthwatering games.
“They [the West Brom players] will be quietly and confidently looking towards this stage of the season,” Moore told Sky Sports News. “It’s a local derby, so the boys will be looking forward to that. There are some excellent and experienced players in there that now is the time to really be at your best.
On whether Villa are hitting for at the right time or peaking too early: “Well, football will give you the answers. But certainly Aston Villa will feel as a team that they have got real momentum going into this game and they’ll want to continue what they are doing.
“They have wonderful flair and balance throughout the squad. They are scoring goals. They are keeping it tight at the back, which is two ingredients needed – I would envisage both games to be tightly fought contests and decided by a moment of brilliance.”
The last time Albion played Villa, Moore was in charge and he guided them to a 2-0 win against their Midlands rivals on their neighbour’s patch.
At that time, Villa’s season seemingly looked over, but they went on a 10-game winning run to kick their season into action and force their way into the playoffs.
Jack Grealish missed that encounter at Villa Park and he could well be the difference if Dean Smith’s side want to progress to the final at Wembley.
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