Despite the unfortunate defeat in the FA Cup against Stevenage, as the League Two side secured a famous victory for themselves at Villa Park, the month of January has actually been quite positive for Aston Villa. The team led by Unai Emery is now unbeaten in four games, earning 11 points from a possible 12, drawing once and winning three.
This upwards trajectory is certainly welcome news and certainly encouraging for Spanish head coach Emery, who took charge with a clear objective of quickly turning things around. Up until his arrival, Aston Villa had really struggled to get wins under Steven Gerrard, whose tenure at the helm appeared to have stagnated.
Now the team has fresh impetus, buoyed by the addition of several new signings in the January transfer window, pushing towards the European positions in the Premier League is not unrealistic. Within touching distance of the top six, accompanied by the caveat whereby seventh could also earn a continental place, Aston Villa fans at home and abroad have good reason to remain positive.
The hard-fought win at Southampton highlights a more determined edge to Aston Villa, which Emery and the team will be hoping to maintain, ahead of what is undoubtedly a difficult run of games through February. This includes the trip to Manchester City, followed by hosting Premier League leaders Arsenal at Villa Park.
Vietnam highlights growing Asian fanbase
Almost halfway around the globe, Aston Villa fans in Vietnam were also celebrating the Southampton result. While it may be hard to imagine there being a sizeable following in Asia, their Facebook account boasts more than 2,100 followers, eagerly soaking up every piece of new surrounding their favourite Premier League club.
English football has enjoyed a growing influence throughout Asia, largely thanks to improved coverage of games available across the entire region, albeit with the inevitable obstacle of being in significantly different time zones. When home fans will be cheering on their team at Villa Park, up against Leicester City on Saturday 4th February at 3 pm, spare a thought for Vietnamese supporters, as it will be 10 pm their time.
Language can also be another hurdle, although the Premier League has partnered with the British Council, encouraging overseas fans to learn the English football vocabulary, along with other words and phrases. Thankfully, live games are often broadcast with Vietnamese commentary, albeit with many pundits introducing English words occasionally.
Many fans enjoy wagering on the outcome of games, including those in Vietnam, eagerly seeking out the best football betting websites, known as trang cá cược bóng đá in the Vietnamese language. And just as in other countries, finding trusted reviews and guides is always the best approach, along with sourcing value odds and promotions.
Massive support in the United States
Speaking the same language is one advantage fans in the United States have, given that English is the native tongue for most of the population, although Spanish is also widespread. Of course, the Premier League is hugely popular over on that side of the pond, where there are thousands of supporters clubs keenly following their favourite teams.
Incredibly, there are now more than 50 fan clubs associated with Aston Villa, based within the United States, and the numbers appear to keep growing consistently. Many of these have managed to gain official recognition from the club, while others have been established in recent years, working hard to drum up enthusiastic support for the Villains in states across the whole country.
Really good turn out today with a couple of new local Villans. Welcome to the group.#PartOfThePride #BeVillaProud #VillaAndProud #AstonVilla #AVFC #AVFCChicago #AVFCNA #VTID #VTWD #EPL #premierleague pic.twitter.com/QABmqjrAjO
— AVFC Lions Chicago (@ChicagoVillans) January 21, 2023
Some of this American support was generated by Aston Villa featuring American players, including two prominent international players. Brad Friedel made 114 appearances for Aston Villa between 2008 and 2011, while his colleague Brad Guzman played 114 games, during his time at the club from 2008 to 2016. Between 2007 and 2013, defender Eric Lichaj also made his mark, before moving on to represent Nottingham Forest and Hull City.
While there are currently no American players in the Aston Villa first-team squad, following the departure of 21-year-old Indiana Vassilev to MLS outfit St. Louis City, support for the Villains remains just as enthusiastic as ever in the United States. And just like other fans elsewhere around the world, they will continue cheering on the team, hopeful the team can achieve a positive conclusion to the 2022-23 season.
