If Brad Guzan and Aston Villa want to bring their fans some holiday cheer, closing out the year by ending their prolonged winless run should be the objective.
Aston Villa will aim to snap its 17-game winless run over the course of the next few days, and could even take big steps towards moving back to safety in the English Premier League. The Villans currently sit in last place in the table, but have a pair of opportunities to begin an ascent in a Boxing Day home clash with West Ham United and road tilt vs. Norwich City two days later. Picking up six points will surely be a tall task for Guzan and his struggling club, but finishing 2015 like that may give them just the confidence they need to salvage their season.
While Guzan and Aston Villa will be concentrating on trying to fight relegation in England’s top tier, Danny Williams and Reading will be one level below thinking of trying to move into a promotion playoff spot. The Royals also have two matches in a span of three days, and taking maximum points from them could move the 11th-placed club into sixth in the Championship standings. Williams figures to start in both affairs – on the road vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and at home against Brentford – especially after ending Reading’s four-game losing streak last time out with a sensational goal.
Wondering what other showdown might be worth watching? Looking no further than Fulham’s battle with Derby County on Saturday. Tim Ream and Emerson Hyndman both got the nod in Fulham’s last game, and it will be intriguing to see if that is the case again when the Cottagers hit the road to square off with the Championship’s second-best team. Ream seems a guarantee to start again in defense for Fulham, but Hyndman is more of an unknown given that he just got his first nod of the campaign.
Here is who the Americans Abroad take on this holiday weekend:
SATURDAY
Geoff Cameron and Stoke City play Manchester United.
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play West Ham United.
DeAndre Yedlin, Lynden Gooch and Sunderland play Manchester City.
Tim Howard and Everton play Newcastle United.
Tim Ream, Emerson Hyndman and Fulham play Derby County.
Cody Cropper and Milton Keynes Dons play Cardiff City.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Sheffield Wednesday.
Danny Williams and Reading play Wolverhampton Wanderers.
SUNDAY
Eric Lichaj and Nottingham Forest play Leeds United.
MONDAY
Tim Howard and Everton play Geoff Cameron and Stoke City.
Brad Guzan and Aston Villa play Norwich City.
Jonathan Spector and Birmingham City play Cody Cropper and Milton Keynes Dons.
Danny Williams and Reading play Brentford.
Gedion Zelalem and Rangers play Hibernian.
—–
Which of these matches are you most looking forward to? How many points do you see Guzan and Aston Villa picking up? Think Williams and Reading will move into sixth place in the Championship this weekend?
Share your thoughts below.