Portsmouth vs Aston Villa

Emile Heskey looked like a great signing on paper and he proved it last night by scoring the only goal of the game as Villa won 1-0 away to the struggling Pompey. Though it was closer than Tom Allen thought before the game, Villa’s victory earnt us some very nice profits at a good price of 2.30

A full set of midweek Premier League fixtures is a rare treat these days but that’s what we have coming up in the next 48 hours and it could prove a crucial couple of days.

Manchester United get the chance to open up a gap at the top for the first time this season when they take on West Brom on Tuesday, Liverpool are not in action until the following night, but the Red Devils are plagued by injuries and they could find it tough going at the Hawthorns.

I’m more than willing to leave that match in the West Midlands alone but there is plenty going on elsewhere and the bet of the night appears to be in the live Sky game.

It is no fluke that Aston Villa are just one win from the summit, they are very much in the title race, and I take Martin O’Neill’s side to leapfrog Chelsea and join Liverpool on 47 points with victory at Fratton Park. Had they secured the win at Doncaster on Saturday in the FA Cup, when Rovers ‘keeper Neil Sullivan denied the Villains on several occasions, then I’m sure they’d be a fraction shorter than the 2.30 on offer and that looks just a touch on the big side.

Villa have been magnificent this season, especially away from home where nobody in the top flight has won more games, and have forced themselves into the championship reckoning. It will probably prove beyond them but Champions League football next season is very much on the agenda and it is good to see O’Neill enjoying so much success.

The Northern Irishman has assembled a hugely exciting squad at Villa Park and it is refreshing to see so much English talent on display in a league dominated by foreigners. Recent transfer window signing Emile Heskey is another superb acquisition and he looks likely to prove the perfect strike partner for Gabriel Agbonlahor in the continued absence of John Carew.

Ashley Young is suspended once again for Villa on Tuesday night but with the likes of James Milner, Gareth Barry and the aforementioned Agbonlahor in their ranks, Villa still have plenty of creativity to cause any defence problems and they’ll be confident of recording yet another victory on their travels.

Villa’s opponents on Tuesday, Portsmouth, are on the slide and Tony Adams, as he has been for some time now, is a man under real pressure. Having lost their inspirational manager in Harry Redknapp and leading scorer in Jermain Defoe, both to Tottenham, the FA Cup success of last May must seem a distant memory and they surrendered their trophy tamely on Saturday when crashing out to Swansea. Pompey were dreadful against the Welsh side and will need to raise their game significantly to take anything from a match they really need to win.

While the Premier League remains so incredibly congested no side is in poorer form than Pompey at present and they are certainly looking over their shoulders rather than upwards at a European place. The signing of Hayden Mullins hardly sets the pulse racing and only Hull and Newcastle have conceded more goals on home soil this season than the south coast club.

With Villa virtually at full strength they must be taken to continue winning ways in the Premier League and I see them overrunning Pompey in the middle of the park. The departures of Diarra, Muntari and Mendes has left them very short where it matters most while injuries to Krancjar and Richard Hughes are likely to keep that duo out of action on Tuesday.

The visitors are looking good at present and we must continue to strike while the Villa iron is hot.