At Norwich, it's about deserving it and some facts from the BBC

Liverpool was always going to be tough but we didn't do so bad and I liked how the manager came out and told us what he was planning on doing. Tonight, we should have a different approach. Tonight, we should be like Liverpool.

Norwich will be very fortunate to survive this season and if they are going to stand any chance it's matches like tonight they have to win. Dean Smith is my manager but I don't want him to win tonight and I'm not sure they will.

But it is a match we have to win. I don't mean because we need the points, although they would be very valuable at this stage of the season, but because Norwich are bottom and our approach so far under Gerrard dictates that we should. That and it's nice to have optimism.

And a big enough win tonight could take us above Leicester. Yes, you heard that right. We beat them the other day but now they sit 8th. But we would need to score a few to go above them and truth be told, I'd just be very happy with a win. I think we deserve a win.

So that said and because I've been stuck in a meeting for two hours and I need to go walk and get some energy, I'll be back later. I'm looking forward to tonight and I'm sure our former manager will get recognised and I'm sure it will be nice.

Match facts from the BBC

Head-to-head

  • Norwich have lost six of the past seven Premier League meetings, with the exception being a 2-0 home win in December 2015.
  • Aston Villa's 5-1 top-flight victory in their most recent trip to Norwich ended a four-match losing streak at Carrow Road, with three of those defeats in the Championship.

Norwich City

  • Norwich have lost five of their first eight home league games in a season for the third time in their history, also doing so in 2019-20 in the Premier League and in 1946-47 in the Third Division South.
  • They have never won a Premier League match on a Tuesday in 15 attempts, drawing four and losing 11.
  • The Canaries have failed to score in 10 of their 16 league fixtures this season, more than any other side.
  • Norwich are one short of 400 Premier League goals in total.
  • Head coach Dean Smith won 55 and lost 56 of his 139 games in charge of Aston Villa from October 2018 until November this year.
  • Teemu Pukki has scored 16 of Norwich's past 34 Premier League goals, including five of eight this season.

Aston Villa

  • Villa have won three of their five league matches under Steven Gerrard, as many as they had in 11 attempts with Dean Smith in charge this season.
  • However, only Southampton have lost more Premier League games in 2021 than Villa's tally of 20.
  • Aston Villa's solitary clean sheet in 14 Premier League away fixtures came in a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in September.
  • Sixteen of their 21 league goals this season have come after half time.
  • Danny Ings has scored in all three of his Premier League appearances against Norwich.