Club-By-Club
ARS AV BLA BOL CHE EVE FUL HUL LIV MC MID MU NEW POR STO SUN TOT WBA WH WIG
Aston Villa
| Ground |
Capacity |
Av. Attendance |
| Villa Park |
42,640 |
40,372 |
| Manager |
Job security |
| Martin O'Neill |
Will only leave for a new club |
| Last season pos |
Top FL points scorer 07/08 |
| 6th |
Ashley Young (56) |
| First 4 Fixtures |
| 16/08 AV v Man City, 23/08 Stoke City v AV, 30/08 AV v Liverpool, 13/09 Tottenham v AV |
| Honours |
| League champions 7, Second Division champions 2, Third Division champions 1, FA Cup winners 7, League Cup winners 5, Community Shield winners 1, European Cup winners 1, European Super Cup winners 1, InterToto Cup winners 1 |
History
Founder members of the Football League, Aston Villa formed in 1874 and won five league titles in the 1890s. The Birmingham club has one of the country's more impressive hauls of silverware including seven FA Cup victories. However Villa haven't won England's most famous trophy since 1957. They were the first winners of the League Cup, winning the inaugural competition in 1961, but were relegated to the depths of the third division in 1970.
After two more League Cups in the seventies Aston Villa were crowned champions of England in 1981, their first title in 71 years. The following year Villa won the European Cup at the first attempt. A single Peter White goal was enough to defeat Bayern Munich in the final. Another stint in the second division followed before two more League Cup wins in the 1990s, and a losing FA Cup final appearance in 2000.
Season preview
Last season's 6th place has been rewarded with a place in the InterToto cup that should see Aston Villa competing in the UEFA Cup during the coming campaign. This will surely push Martin O'Neil's tiny squad to the limit so expect plenty of new arrivals at Villa Park over the summer.
Villa were fantastic going forward last season, and were a real danger on the counter attack and at set pieces. However they did look shaky at the back at times and are in desperate need of a right-back. A top striker wouldn't go a miss either, but most of the hopes for the new season depend upon whether Gareth Barry stays at the club.
Clean sheet rating: 
Goal rating:
Fantasy League star player: Ashley Young
Plenty of eye brows were raised when Martin O'Neil splashed out £11m to sign Watford's Ashley Young. But the young winger, who can also play up front, scored on his debut and hasn't looked back since. Last season he was superb on the left hand side for Villa and his impressive displays were soon rewarded with a place in the England set-up.
Young is one of the few players who can actually beat the first man with a cross from a corner or freekick, and will get plenty of assists again this season. He can also fire in a spectacular goal and could be given more freedom to roam from flank to flank this season, after O'Neil described him as Villa's Cristiano Ronaldo.
One to watch: Curtis Davies
A talented central defender Curtis Davies joined Aston Villa at the start of last season on loan and will complete a permanent £10m deal in the summer. He compared his debut performance to a Sunday league player, but was named in Fabio Capello's first England squad before injury curtailed his campaign.