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Cape Town - Angel Rangel admits this English Premier League season has been strange for Swansea City as they sit in unfamiliar territory at the bottom end of the league table.
With eight games to play, tension is running high at the Liberty Stadium as the Swans sit eight points ahead of third-from-bottom Norwich City in one of the most unpredictable seasons in Premier League history.
Rangel believes a win will change the complexion of their season and boost their chances of survival when they host an Aston Villa side that last won an away game on the opening day of the season.
"It's been a strange and stressful season for us all at the club," the Spaniard told the club's official website.
"We have been used to success over the last seven or eight seasons, but this season has been more stressful than usual.
"The most important thing is to stay up. This is a massive game for us and we need to extend the gap between ourselves and the teams below us.
"We had a good run of two consecutive wins over Arsenal and Norwich, then we had a setback against Bournemouth last weekend. So the pressure is firmly on us, and I see it as a must-win game.
"Villa are fighting for their lives, and so are we. We know the situation will look a lot better for us if we win this game. It would make a massive difference."
