Today at 2:45 p.m. ET, Aston Villa and West Bromwich go head-to-head in Barclays Premier League action live from Villa Park in England. The game can be live streamed here.
These two teams battled to a draw in mid-November, and West Brom comes into this contest with a different coach, now under the tutelage of Pepe Mel.
"It could be harder for us, preparing to face a team with a new manager," Villa coach Paul Lambert said per ESPN. "Regardless of who is in charge, though, a derby game will take care of itself and the atmosphere will lift everybody. It doesn't matter who is in the technical area. In a derby game anything can happen. It doesn't matter who is on form or who is not. I think I said that the last time we played them."
He added: "We've got a lot of confidence at the minute from our draw at Liverpool the other week and that's evident. The atmosphere won't need lifting. It will be there anyway. We'll have the majority of the crowd on our side this time and they'll get right behind us, I've got no doubt about that."
Lambert said he is interested to see how Mel does in English football.
"If you walk into a new club and a new job and you don't get a welcome on your first day then there's something wrong," Lambert told ESPN. "His reputation is there for everybody to see, and what he's done in Spain. It's new to him. The league's new to him. West Brom is new to him. We'll see."
Villa may be without striker Gabriel Agbonlahor (foot) but are confident in the arrival of Grant Holt.
Mel has been playing close attention to Villa and knows his team will be in for a tough match.
"I watched their last two games, at Villa Park and Anfield, Mel told ESPN. "They are a very good team on the counter-attack, but they are also good playing it long and winning the second ball with Christian Benteke."
Villa and Bronwich go head-to-head today in England.
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
