Something For The Weekend: Aston Villa vs Birmingham City

It's derbies all round this weekend, with possibly the most significant coming as Aston Villa entertain Birmingham City at Villa Park on Sunday. There is, of course, the added element that Birmingham are in the midst of a tough relegation battle. With both Bolton Wanderers and Fulham picking up vital wins last weekend, the Brummies have been sucked right back into the mire just as it seemed they might have escaped. And Villa fans would love nothing more than to add to their big rivals' woes with a win.

Birmingham's recent off-field problems have been well documented, with Karren Brady and David Sullivan both taken in for questioning by police amid rumours of corruption within the club. Just how this will affect the players is debatable, although Alex McLeish will doubtless demand that his team forget about it and concentrate on securing what would be a huge victory for the Blues.

As for Villa, a miserable run of games in March - in which they managed only two points - has been turned around in emphatic style so far in April. In their last two outings, the Villains have scored ten goals without reply (albeit against Bolton and Derby). Goals are flowing from all areas of the team at the moment, including a superb Beckham-esque effort from Stiliyan Petrov against Derby County.

Villa should be fired up for this game. Not only is this a home derby game, in which the fans will demand a huge effort at the very least, they are still in with a slim shout of snatching the last European slot from the grasps of Everton and Portsmouth. Because of these factors, as well as their recent form, Villa could prove a test too far for Birmingham.