Emiliano Martínez makes his 130th appearance in a Villa shirt since joining in September 2023 under Dean Smith to make it W59 D22 L49, 158 Goals Conceded at a rate of 1.21 goals per game, 43 Clean Sheets (33%) and 14 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Meanwhile, and something that will feature in no headlines, or be accompanied by banshee screams of corruption and vendettas. Villa have a 22’ goal ruled out for offside, an offside not committed by either the player crossing the ball or the player heading the ball and which it took a full 3 minutes for the VAR officials to find. Villa should have been leading 2-1 midway through the first half and form would suggest a comfortable victory awaited. It didn’t. Up in Anfield however, and with Liverpool being held to a draw in the final seconds by Fulham, Liverpool ‘score’ a last gasp winner despite an obvious and deliberate foul in the build up to the the goal. No VAR check follows. Liverpool win. Villa draw. Liverpool move onto 31 points when they should have been on 29. Villa gain a single point to sit on 29 when they should have won the game and three points to give them 31. That is how titles are won and lost. That is why VAR is such a clear and obvious mess. Look hard enough and they will find, close their eyes and look the other way and they won't.