There's a lot of belief in Paul Lambert's ability to get things moving in the right direction, but as for the team itself? Not so much. A win in a winnable game would go a long way towards lifting spirits.

Aston Villa look to rebound from a dispiriting loss to Spurs against Fulham, but the Cottagers match up against Villa quite well. So well, in fact, that it might be an opportune time for Paul Lambert to try something new in pursuit of needed points.

Spurs enter this game as clear favorites, but the fun of supporting a young and rebuilding club like Villa is in never knowing what to expect.

Aston Villa welcomes West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion to Birmingham for a Sunday afternoon Derby. With the Baggies flying high, will Villa be able to replicate the performance that saw them dump Manchester City out of the League Cup?

Aston Villa, fresh from a 4-1 drubbing by Southampton, now must travel to Manchester City for the next round of the League Cup. Will a win be possible?

Aston Villa's strong performances in their past two outings have spirits running high, but a stumble against Southampton could erase a great deal of confidence.

Swansea City head to Birmingham looking like a club that took a significant step forward over the summer. Was the improvement Aston Villa showed against Newcastle legitimate? If not, the visitors will probably let us know.

Newcastle is a difficult test for this evolving Aston Villa side, but with a team so full of youth it's often less about the results and more about the way you respond to them.

Newcastle blogger John Murphy answers some questions about the Toon ahead of Sunday's match.

Aston Villa get a chance to put the unpleasant experience of Saturday behind them, but a failure to take care of business against League One Tranmere Rovers in the second round of the Capitol One Cup could have rather nasty consequences.