Tyrone Mings targeting quick start for Aston Villa after revealing his love for lunchtime kick-offs
Tyrone Mings has called on Villa to strike an early blow against Newcastle in the race for European football after explaining why he loves a lunchtime kick-off.
Saturday 12.30pm starts might not be popular with supporters but the Villa defender has revealed they are his favourite time to play.
Villa host the Magpies this weekend as they begin a Premier League season at home for the first time in 15 years and Mings is eyeing the chance to lay down a marker.
He explained to VillaTV: “When you get around to this stage you are itching for the first game to come around and 12.30 is my favourite time to play.
“You get it out of the way, don’t you? There is no thinking time. You get up, have a meeting, have some food and then you are on your way to the game.
“You also get to sit back and take in the rest of the results from the weekend.
“As long as it has been a good one, it is a good time to play.”
Along with Manchester United v Arsenal, Saturday’s clash at Villa Park is the pick of the opening weekend fixtures, with only goal difference having separated the teams in last season’s table.
It was Newcastle who finished in the prized fifth place to earn Champions League football, with Villa missing the chance to overtake them on the final day as they stumbled to defeat at Manchester United.
Despite both clubs experiencing frustrating transfer windows, the expectation is they will again be in the hunt for a top-four finish.
From Villa’s perspective, Mings says qualifying for Europe again is the minimum aim heading into the campaign.
He said: “The Premier League is the toughest in the world and the competition is always improving. Every time I look at it, the table and the teams that are in it and the squads that they have, it’s so hard.
“That’s what makes it so great and why so many people tune in around the world, because it’s so competitive. We don’t downplay how difficult every season is.
“The manager’s great at taking it one game at a time and how he prepares for games. It’s going to be a difficult season, but every season is difficult. Our ambition has to be European football again and has to be a trophy.
“There’s more than one way to go about that: winning the FA Cup, winning the Carabao Cup or through winning the Europa League. There are different ways to get into it, but ultimately it’s about delivering European football for the club.”
Villa’s team is guaranteed to feature at least one debutant with Marco Bizot replacing the suspended Emi Martinez in goal.
Boss Unai Emery is hopeful Morgan Rogers will be able to play following the ankle injury he sustained in pre-season. Leon Bailey is unlikely to feature as talks continue over a potential season-long loan move to Roma.
