Gabby The Great

For the second season running at the Stadium of Light, we gained three points courtesy of Gabby Agbonlahor, our longest serving player, record Premier League goalscorer and one club man.

To me, Gabby is a club legend. He’s our record Premier League goalscorer, how could be not be? So often, he has been the difference between winning and drawing or drawing and losing over the years and the Sunderland game is just another example. He has turned it on in big matches over the last eight and a quarter seasons, while also saving some devastating blows for our local rivals, who must really despise our number 11.

Going through his stats over his time in claret and blue, I have counted twenty-six goals that were either winners or what I would call game changers (clawed us back into a game, levelled the score or set us on our way) in the Premier League. I have also counted seven goals in derby matches, most of them vital ones.

Key Gabby Goals

Birmingham City 1-2 Aston Villa (November 2007)

With the game stuck at 1-1, Gabby suddenly became heavily involved. The Blues were pressing late on and Gabby made an excellent goal line clearance to keep the score level. In the 87th minute he took his heroics a step further. Agbonlahor rose highest to head home Ashley Young’s left wing cross, sparking scenes of absolute joy in the away end and setting Gabby on his way to becoming an Aston Villa idol.

Aston Villa 4-2 Man City (August 2008)

Villa got off to the perfect start in the 2008-09 season – and Agbonlahor was at the heart of it. After a largely forgettable first half, Gabby took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half. With the game tied at 1-1, Agbonlahor scored a perfect hat trick in the space of seven minutes to put Villa 4-1 up. Villa Park was rocking as Mark Hughes’ big spenders were cut open by Villa and particularly Gabby. It was a great start to the season and Gabby’s was one of the finest hat tricks ever seen at Villa Park.

Birmingham City 0-1 Aston Villa (September 2009)

In what was an extremely tight derby day, Agbonlahor yet again broke Birmingham City fans’ hearts with a late header. In the 85th minute Ashley Young chipped in a free kick and John Carew headed across for Agbonlahor to bury the ball with his head. For the second derby match at St Andrew’s in a row, Gabby was the hero.

Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa (December 2009)

Another header saw us win a rare game against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Ashley Young whipped in the ball and Gabby headed it home. Another big game was decided by the Erdington-born forward, who was fast becoming Villa’s big game player.

West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa (April 2011)

This game was a big relegation six pointer that finally made it look likely that we would stay up. Gerard Houllier couldn’t seem to get the best out of Gabby but this was the biggest game of both teams’ season and Agbonlahor scored the winner yet again when another header from an Ashley Young cross in the 91st minute secured the precious points. This was definitely the most important goal the team had scored that season and, unsurprisingly, it was Gabby who had scored it.

Reading 1-2 Aston Villa (March 2013)

Unfortunately, this was another relegation six pointer but it was a game that turned the season round and gave the young players the belief that they could win crucial games. Gabby smashed home goal number 1001 for Aston Villa in the Premier League, giving us a 2-1 lead at Reading. Once again, it was a priceless goal. Gabby was quite simply unplayable in the tail end of last season. However, he saved his best for an even bigger occasion…

Norwich City 1-2 Aston Villa (May 2013)

We still had relegation worries going into the 36th game of a long Premier League season – and so did Norwich. After Gabby gave us the lead in the 55th minute with a stunning long range drive, Norwich equalised through a Grant Holt penalty. With the relegation clash heading for a draw, Agbonlahor ran onto a brilliant Westwood through ball and produced an angled finish to send the away end into rapture. This priceless goal came in the 89th minute and all but secured the club’s Premier League status. All this happened only a few days after becoming Villa’s record Premier League goalscorer against Sunderland at Villa Park in the emphatic 6-1 victory.

gabby

Checking through our results over the last few years, as far as I can see, we haven’t actually lost a League game in which Gabby has scored since September 26th 2009, when he scored in the 2-1 defeat at Blackburn. This supports many fans’ belief that Agbonlahor is the club’s talisman.

I have often said that even on a bad day Gabby is such a valuable asset because teams are scared of him and he creates room for other players. In his eight and a quarter seasons playing in the first team, he has, in my opinion, quite simply made himself a club legend. He isn’t as polarised as some Villa players but I have heard him criticised on a few occasions. I know the word “legend” is overused in football but I really think Gabby Agbonlahor deserves the accolade.

Footballers are lated for their lack of loyalty yet Gabby has given us nearly a decade of it and he clearly loves the club. I love the man! I don’t care what anyone says, we are lucky to have him, we really are. The club has been brilliant for him, I know this, but he has been brilliant for us. Time and time again, he has delivered on the big occasion and the number of important goals he has scored is not to be sniffed at. He’s had bad patches, of course, but what I like about him is that he never hides and he doesn’t let those spells without goals bother him.

I really hope he goes on to be a one club man – our version of Steven Gerrard or John Terry. I also hope that he is always held in high esteem by our supporters.

Thanks for the goals Gabby – and here’s to many more.

What do you think? Is Gabby an Aston Villa legend? Let me know your views by commenting below.

 

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5 comments

  1. I think he’ll be a one club man. In his final games I’ll feel very emotional. He’s done everything for villa. His crossing and assists are also underated. It’s hard to see him in those terms but he may well be remembered with the likes of McGrath and Taylor. Main difference may be villa are an inferior side now and he’s won nothing and in all likelihood never will.

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