Get Well Soon, Ged: Villa v. Stoke, Saturday 23 April 2011, 10 a.m. EDT

A stoppage-time winner from Gabby Agbonlahor saw Villa see off the Hammers and shoot up to 10th in the Premier League, heading into this weekend's match with Stoke City.  Darren Bent also scored (his sixth in 11 games since joining in January- what a bargain), cancelling out Robbie Keane's second-minute opener.

Stoke come into the weekend feeling the high of doling out a 5-0 thrashing to Bolton in the FA Cup semifinal.   Former Holte End hero John Carew will be unavailable for the 13th-placed Potters, as he is on loan from Villa.  Other than that rule-bound change, both teams will have their full squads from which to select.

UPDATE:  Villa Manager Gerard Houllier was taken to the hospital last night with an undisclosed illness; Assistant Manager Gary "Short Pants" McAllister will take the reigns for Saturday's match.  We at the Capital Villans HQ wish a speedy recovery to Gerard.

The Capital Villans will be viewing the match at Lucky Bar; come join us at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the live broadcast.

East London Escape? West Ham v. Aston Villa, 16 April 2011, 10:00 a.m. EDT

Villa looked the part of the home team last week against Newcastle United, with James Collins the hero of a one-nil win.  This weekend, Villa travel to Upton Park, where color-stealers West Ham United await.  The Hammers come into the match in a precarious 18th, but still just 5 points back of Villa, who sit in 14th position.  A win for Villa would all but assure Premier League safety, and cast serious doubts on West Ham's survival (meaning Olympic Stadium would be a Championship Ground).

Last time Villa played West Ham was the season opener at Villa Park, with Kevin MacDonald in the manager's chair and James Milner in midfield (scoring his farewell goal in front of the Holte End).  The match will also be Ashley Young's 250th career league appearance.  Villa have everyone fit, and should name a similar side to the one that beat Newcastle, which will also make the match Gabby Agbonlahor's 200th start for the Villa.

The Capital Villans will be at Lucky Bar tomorrow for the live broadcast of the match, at 10:00 a.m. EDT.  Come join us!

A Real Live One: Villa v. Newcastle, 10 April 2011, 11:00 a.m. EDT

After a battling 2-2 draw at Everton that saw Villa fight back from one-nil down to take the lead, only for a dodgy penalty decision to take away the full three points.  Darren Bent had the brace for Villa, who sit in 16th on 34 points with seven matches to go.

Enter Newcastle United, who visit Villa Park five points ahead in ninth, coming off of a 4-0 pasting of Wolves at St. James's Park.  Last time Villa played Newcastle sealed the fate of Kevin MacDonald as interim manager, with Newcastle running rampant and hitting in 6.  Last time we hosted Newcastle, then-captain Gareth Barry sealed the barcodes' relegation by thumping one in off the back of Damien Duff.  Both teams should have their full squads to choose from.

In addition, the club is pulling out the stops to once again make Villa Park an intimidating place to be for visiting teams.  The club shot the above video with 200 supporters earlier this week, in an effort to bring back the club's historical anthem "The Bells are Ringing," and to prove true the permanent banner on the facing of the Holte End, and give the Villans a "12th Man" to carry them through.  We'll be doing our best from 3,600 some-odd miles away, with a chance to actually watch the game live!  Come join us at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday- we'll be at Lucky Bar.

It's been a while. Everton v. Villa, 2 April 2011, Lucky Bar, 5:00 p.m. (tape delay)

Not much of an update this week.  It's been a while since we've convened- Villa travel to take on Everton at Goodison Park in a pretty-much must win match.  Stewie Downing, Darren Bent and Ashley Young all performed well for England in the International Break- let's hope they keep it up.

Join the Capital Villans at Lucky Bar at 5:00 for the tape-delayed broadcast of the match.

Villa's travels- The FA Cup today @ Man City; Tape Delay at the Weekend- at Bolton

This past weekend saw Villa dismantle Blackburn 4-1, with Ashley Young providing a brace, Stewart Downing finishing an excellent run, and Marc Albrighton dinking one in off a Blackburn defender.  With that boost, Villa head to Eastlands today to take on Manchester City in the 5th round of the FA Cup.  Win, and Villa host Reading, who upset Everton on Monday, in the quarterfinal round.

Villa will be without defensive trio James Collins (calf), Nathan Baker (bell rung), and Carlos Cuellar (hamstring), while newly fit fullback Luke Young misses today to welcome a third child into the world.  All of which means that midfield starlet Fabian Delph will likely be drafted in at the left-back position he played quite well in on Saturday after the aforementioned Baker got his aforementioned bell rung by Rovers keeper Paul Robinson.  Darren Bent will also miss, having played in the FA Cup for Sunderland in their 2-1 loss to Notts County.   The game is live on Fox Soccer Channel from 2:30 p.m. if you're so inclined.

At the weekend, Villa travel to the Reebok Stadium to take on Bolton Wanderers.  The Trotters, who feature American midfield prodigy Stuart Holden, currently sit seventh, four points above Villa.  The match will be on tape delay here in the U.S., so avoid the score and come watch with us at Lucky Bar at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.  See you then!

Shouldn't you be gone? Blackpool v. Aston Villa, 12 February 2011, 4:30 p.m. EST (Tape Delay)

Wednesday's friendly between England and Denmark featured eight former or current Villa players, with current Villans Darren Bent and Ashley Young firing home England's two goals in a 2-1 win.

With the strikeforce feeling that much more confident, Villa travel to Bloomfield Road to take on Blackpool, a return of a match that cost Seasiders' gaffer Ian Holloway 25,000 GBP, who now feels like he's no longer a manager.  Holloway played ten players not in his usual XI, and was thus judged to be fielding an "uncompetitive side" that Villa still struggled to put away.

Villa will be without Fabian Delph and Luke Young, both out with knee injuries.  American fullback Eric Lichaj has left on a month's loan to Leeds to get some first team experience.

The Capital Villans will be taking in Saturday's match at 4:30, for the tape-delayed broadcast, at Lucky Bar on Connecticut and 18th. Join us!

Hello, Old Friend- Villa v. Fulham, 5 February 2011

One of Gerard Houllier's masterstrokes: The Ginger Ghost in a pale shirt

What a transfer window for Gerard Houllier.  In his first opportunity to truly put a stamp on the Villa team, he added a goal-poaching striker (Bent, on 2 goals in 3 games since joining), a young attacking fullback prospect (Walker), a classy midfield general (Makoun, who put on a passing masterclass in Tuesday's defeat to Manchester United), and he closed out the window by adding the American midfield dynamo Michael Bradley, who progressed from MLS to the Eredivisie to the Bundesliga (and popping up with a vital goal (see the 3:40 mark in the linked video) over the Summer in the US's Group E win) before joining Aston Villa.

Bradley is available for his debut on Saturday as Villa Park plays host to Fulham.  Fulham, in addition to helping us with our wage bill by purchasing ballboy extraordinaire Steve Sidwell, have been on a solid run of form of late.  Villa come in on the back of a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford in midweek, though the team passed and possessed the ball a little like Arsenal at times, led by Jean Makoun's 85 completed passes from midfield and Darren Bent's 10th goal of the league season (second with Villa).  Defender Luke Young is a miss, having visited a London specialist over the week to sort his nagging knee injury, as is Fabian Delph, who is out after aggravating last year's season-ending knee injury in the win over West Brom in December.  Fullbacks Stephen Warnock and Habib Beye are also unlikely starters, as Gerard Houllier has banished them to reserves training with Kevin MacDonald, telling them to "demonstrate their desire to play for Aston Villa."

The match will occur at 10 a.m.; however it is not showing until 5:00 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.  The Capital Villans will convene at Lucky Bar.  Though it's not on their schedule, we could surely convince them to play the match there.  Avoid the score, and see you in the afternoon!