Gareth Barry produced a Man of the Match display the last time West Bromwich Albion met Aston Villa in the league.
Gareth Barry has admitted that Aston Villa are the favourites ahead of their play-off semi-final showdown with rivals West Brom as he praised them for their recent run of form.
Dean Smith’s side have lost only one of their last 13 league games and are heading into the playoffs bang in form. They did lose their most recent fixture against champions Norwich, but a number of first-team players were rested for that game.
The last time Albion played Villa, they recorded a comfortable 2-0 win, with Barry playing in the middle of the park and producing a Man of the Match display.
Speaking to Sky Sports News (06/05/2019 at 6:40 pm), Barry shared his thoughts on the up and coming fixture as he admitted that there isn’t much in it between the two teams.
On Villa being bang in form and whether it makes them favourites: “Yes, their results have been very good for a long period of time now,” Barry told Sky Sports News. “But if you’re asking me now, there’s nothing in it.
“It’s going to be two close games. Both games in the league were close. Both teams have a lot of quality. But West Brom have that little bit of experience, so I’m going to back us to get the job done.”
Both Villa and West Brom have some of the best attacking talents in the second tier of English football and those players will be looking to prove their worth over the two legs.
If the two games of the regular season are anything to go by then Albion will be confident, but Dean Smith’s side are a completely different animal from the team that played West Brom earlier on this season.
Star man Jack Grealish, top-scorer Tammy Abraham, Player of the Year John McGinn and leader Tyrone Mings will all be expected to return from Villa’s final day defeat to Norwich, with the Baggies losing to Frank Lampard’s Derby County.
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