Aston Villa host Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday, fresh from another disappointment in their woeful season.
With relegation already virtually assured, there's little hope that Villa can climb off the bottom spot and overtake 19th placed Sunderland, let alone fight their way back into contention for survival.
West Ham loss another dour note
Things got even worse in mid-week, as they were beaten 2-0 by a West Ham United side that didn't have to be anywhere near their best to take all three points, with Michail Antonio and Cheikhou Kouyate grabbing the goals.
That came after a mini revival during January under Remi Garde, as Villa won their first league game since the opening day, before going unbeaten for two further games in the league, and five games in total in all competitions. Still, with those around them picking up points too, they're still a hefty 10 points from safety.
Surrounding the poor result against West Ham was the closure of the January transfer window, in which Villa failed to sign a single player. That's led to rumours that manager Garde is ready to quit the club, having been told there'd be money available when he took over in October.
Norwich have spent big
Norwich certainly can't be accused of not spending money, with Alex Neil splashing the cash on the likes of Steven Naismith, Iva Pinto and Timm Klose. They're just outside the relegation zone, sitting 17th on 23 points, and they'll be hoping that their new signings can contribute to finishing the season in a safe position.
However, recent results haven't been good for the Canaries, who have lost their last five games in all competitions. The last of those came against an impressive Tottenham Hotspur side on Tuesday, as Norwich lost 0-3 at home.
Team news
Villa are without their player of the season so far in Jordan Ayew, who begins a three match suspension for elbowing West Ham's Aaron Cresswell. They're also missing the services of Libor Kozak, after it was revealed that the striker would be out for a month with a fractured bone in his ankle.
Elsewhere in the striking department, Rudy Gestede is unlikely to feature, meaning Gabriel Agbonlahor and Scott Sinclair are likely to get the nod up-front. Ashley Westwood could return in midfield, but Carlos Sanchez is still out.
Norwich have a player suspended themselves, with Alex Tettey having picked up 10 yellow cards already this season. Robbie Brady will deliver a threat from the left-wing having recovered from illness, whilst Patrick Bamford may feature after joining on loan in January.