Pressure is on Aston Villa manager

Gerard Houllier is under great pressure as Aston Villa manager and a win over West Brom could give him some relief at the end of a tough week for the Frenchman.

The manager returned to his former club Liverpool last Monday, and it was not just the manner of the 3-0 defeat which angered Villa fans, but the way Houllier applauded the Kop and declared his continuing love for the opposition.

Houllier seems to have alienated and disappointed a large section of the Villa fans and his position as manager is not helped by the fact they have won only one of their last ten matches.

Villa are on a run of three defeats in a row, but priced at 11/10 to win the West Midlands derby, while West Brom are on the hunt for their third consecutive Premier League win as Roberto Di Matteo has masterminded somewhat of a revolution at The Hawthorns.

Houllier can at least be encouraged by the fact the lengthy injury list at Villa Park is starting to show signs of abating. Emile Heskey and Barry Bannan have both recovered and are set to play on Saturday, while Ashley Young returns from a one-match suspension.

For West Brom, their leading scorer Peter Odemwingie and key midfielder Chris Brunt are both injury doubts for the game as the Baggies look to end a run of 12-straight games without a win at Villa Park – a record stretching back to 1979 – and they are 11/4 to get all three points.

Villa have slipped down to 16th and two points above the Premier League relegation places in recent weeks and they need the three points to try to climb the table and also give some more time to their under-fire manager.

Life is a lot sweeter for Di Matteo and his side, as a win, and the right set of results elsewhere, could see them leap to the heights of sixth in the Premier League.