Unai Emery has been insistent in his belief that Aston Villa are not in a title race this season. And while he has remained positive despite a couple of disappointing results of late, Villa’s recent form perhaps suggests that a real title challenge is indeed a step too far for this group.
Villa have managed to tailgate Arsenal for much of the season, even beating the league leaders with a late winner back in December. But a home defeat to Brentford followed by a draw with Bournemouth last Saturday has seen them fall to nine points behind the Gunners.
Stranger things have happened, but it feels as though the focus around Villa has shifted from outside title hopes to firmly on remaining in the top five – with the Premier League likely to again receive a fifth Champions League qualification spot this season.
Top Five, not the Top
“We are not thinking (about) the end of the season, we are thinking now,” Emery insisted ahead of their clash with Brighton, however. “We can speak about how we were in September, and we are enjoying. We’re enjoying the process, we are competing, we are feeling comfortable how we are doing our season.
“But now, I am positive. The players as well, they are working very well every day. They played a fantastic game on Saturday, competing fantastic in Bournemouth, and tomorrow, we have a new challenge.”
Missing out on what could have been always comes with a tinge of disappointment. Nottingham Forest missing out on Champions League football last season having been in the top four for much of the campaign, for example, was seen as underwhelming.
But securing a return to the Champions League would be an incredible achievement for Emery’s group. The fact they are ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool – leading the latter by eight points – is a remarkable feat.
The way the likes of Liverpool, and to a much larger extent Tottenham, have struggled this season highlights just how vital it is that Villa do not take their current position for granted.
Injury Woes
Emery’s midfield has been decimated by injuries of late and has perhaps been the biggest reason behind their drop off in the last two games. Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans are all sidelined, though Villa did move to shore things up in the middle of the park by bringing former midfielder Douglas Luiz back to the club.
Their injury problems have created some worries that Villa’s drop off could continue, and facing a late battle to secure a top-five place would feel unjust given how well they have done this season.
Brighton an Easy Target
But Brighton represent perhaps a perfect opportunity for Villa to return to form. The Seagulls have found things very tough lately, winning just one of the last 12 league games.
Some supporters booed their team off after their most recent defeat to rivals Crystal Palace, and boss Fabian Hürzeler’s job is under increasing pressure after a season of regression on the pitch. Defeat to Villa will only further ramp up the heat on the young German.
