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Momentum is a funny old thing. Two weeks ago you’d have looked at Aston Villa and thought they were a shoo-in from those competing for a play-off place to go up.

Leeds were all over the place and West Brom still hadn’t discovered their best football under James Shan.

The Villans, however, were on a ten-match winning streak and had all the confidence of a side who looked like title winners, not play-off contenders.

However, after a draw and defeat in successive games, albeit it to tough opposition, Dean Smith’s side may well have handed the advantage over to Derby who sealed a tremendous 3-1 win over the Baggies.

It’s important for Villa fans not to go overboard after defeat. It’s unlikely they will anyway given the confidence around Villa Park. But having rested players, Smith must ensure complacency now doesn’t become an issue.

Norwich was the time to make a statement

Aston Villa’s 12-game unbeaten run over recent months will be all well and good if the club get promoted in a matter of weeks. However, it could all be in vain if they taste defeat in the play-offs.

Against the eventual title winners, Norwich, the Midlands club had a chance to make a real statement but instead, Smith handled things in the wrong way and as such their momentum has taken a hit.

The Villa boss was always going to rest John McGinn after being in danger of missing the play-offs through suspension, but there were some questionable selections elsewhere, none more so than Henri Lansbury and Alan Hutton.

The former has had an injury-hit spell with the club but does possess outstanding quality on his day.

However, it wasn’t his afternoon as he struggled for the fluidity we’ve seen from the likes of McGinn, Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish. There was a real lack of defensive solidity without Tyrone Mings starting too.

Getting through the game without injuries was important, but so was ensuring the momentum was still in place. Smith said after the game, per quotes from The Express & Star: “In my head, I don’t really see yesterday’s game as a loss.

“There’s an awful lot of confidence around Villa Park and you can feel it. The players will relish the games.”

But what’s important now is that there isn’t overconfidence. A defeat on the final day doesn’t count for much and Smith has still done a tremendous job this term. But against a top side, it could have measured just how far they’ve come since the 48-year-old walked through the door. However, the team selection didn’t allow that.