RichW

Start of 3 home games in a row for Brighton today. Expect them to get 9/9 points from those games so if they do drop any points it would be a bonus. Think possibly Everton might be able to get a 0-0 there but think Wolves and Man Utd will be comfortable wins for them.

Bit frustrating that Spurs have got Palace at home next weekend. Even though I think Villa won’t get anything this weekend, if did manage to beat Man Utd and Wolves could have been going into that Spurs game knowing a draw/win would have sealed European football with 2 games to spare. Expect Palace to be on the beach by that game unfortunately.

Think this is going to be the game where it's a game too far for the players we have got atm. Hopefully Man Utd should be feeling the effects of a busy week here but as we have seen in the past with Villa it never seems to work that way. Gonna presume it will be the same starting eleven and that we won't have any of the injured players come back. Key will be to still be in the game before the inevitable Eriksen substitution in the second half as they seem to struggle to control the game when he goes off and they've got not anybody else like him. Man Utd have struggled away from home but at Old Trafford they have been very, very good. Villa to play well but predict a narrow loss with VAR controversy.

Spurs managed to draw with them at home. Pretty much every top team have got something against Man Utd at their own grounds. Old Trafford has been a different story.

I've already accepted that Liverpool are probably going to finish 5th but 6th is there for the taking. Like Newcastle away last week, I just cannot see Spurs getting anything at Anfield this weekend. Any points Spurs are going to get is at home, they will probably beat on-the-beach Palace and maybe on-the-beach Brentford but can't see them getting anything from their away fixtures, even Leeds will probably have to beat them to try and stop up. Just gotta hope Man Utd can avoid losing tonight.

It helps that they are out, I was hoping Fernandes and Rashford would be out but Rashford came back last week and Fernandes is meant to be fit for tonight's game so looks like they won't be missing for the weekend unless get injuries tonight. Regardless of their injuries, their home form has been very good this season, you can't ignore that. Away from home against decent opposition they've been found out but at Old Trafford teams have not been going away with many points this season. Villa can be 2-0 up on Sunday and I still wouldn't feel confident will get something from the game. Not sure why people are saying they'd be disappointed if don't pick up anything at Old Trafford especially if it looks like Villa haven't got any injured players coming back to make changes to what looked like a tired side against Fulham.

Not sure there has been any reliable source that said they were close to getting it signed? Just that they were in talks. These things can take time and i'd imagine the club and Watkins are probably waiting till the end of the season to sort it since currently in a race for europe.

Need Man Utd to get at least a draw tonight, then it will just become a case of bettering Spurs results over the remaining 5 games which is something I'm confident Villa can do. My predictions for the remaining 5 games:- Man Utd - L Wolves - D Spurs - W Liverpool - L Brighton - D (this is dependant on what the table looks like going into it. If it's a case of Villa need to win to get that European place I'd back Villa to win) If we get anything at Old Trafford and Anfield then it's a bonus.

Spurs have been consistently bad especially away from home whereas for Newcastle it was a one-off bad performance as they have been good all season.

Was confident all week Newcastle would beat these today. Just glad we got something out the Brentford game as now can go above them on Tuesday night. Only thing that might save Spurs is if they decide to get a new manager in but not sure who would go in before the end of the season.

Can say exactly the same thing for Brighton. They probably have a similar squad size to us and they got ALOT of games to play in May. It’s pretty much a game every mid week in May for them and it will cost them towards the end. Still have Man City, Arsenal and Newcastle to play so it’s not like they have an easy run in. Brighton been a brilliant side this season, if they do manage to finish top 7 with that run in then they deserve it. Also if they do beat Man Utd today, that FA Cup final will be a distraction towards the end of the season only have to look at Newcastle’s form around that League Cup final to see it has an effect.

Newcastle fans gave Villa a lot of credit last week and gotta do the same to Brentford this week. Realistically lucky to get a point out of this game, first half was 50/50 maybe Brentford edged it but second half Villa were poor and didn’t turn up till the last 10 mins really. Martinez going off made the defence more nervy and it was only a matter of time by the time they scored. Can just see how much improvement there is in the team under Emery, would normally go on to concede a quick second and then probably lose 3-0, I would be writing about how much of a soft underbelly there is to this team etc but instead we take the draw and run. 9 games unbeaten is nothing to be sniffed at, touchwood should be 10 after Tuesday which would be a bigger achievement then the 10 wins in a row in the Championshp.

The draw should put an end to any unrealistic top 4 talk that was going on but at any stage of the season I would take a draw at Brentford. They are no mugs at home, think the winning streak had made some people too confident ahead of the game, was always going to be tough game today regardless of their form. More encouraged that Villa managed to get a draw from that game, normally 1-0 would turn to 2-0/3-0 and we’d be writing about how much of a soft underbelly the team had. Can’t play well every week, there’s always a bad performance round the corner in this league as Newcastle showed last weekend after 5 wins in a row. Beat Fulham Tuesday and it will be positive. The only thing that I think will stop Villa from finishing top 7 is an injury to Martinez, Mings or Watkins. As today showed when they are there’s injury to a key player there is too much of a drop off in quality.

Didn’t realise they have only lost twice at home this season. Tough game and Villa have a poor record when it comes to Brentford away. Could be the game where we drop points but will be happy with a draw here aslong as beat Fulham Tuesday night.

Exactly what I was thinking earlier in the thread, Villa can win every game and probably still won't get in. Newcastle and Man Utd both have a games in hand and just looking at their fixtures they won't drop enough points. Would have took top 8 at the start of the season and definitely would have took top 11 when Gerrard got sacked but feel like there is going to be a lot of disappointment on here if Villa finish 8th.

Yeah I got teams mixed up I thought Brentford was 8th not 9th.

For some reason I thought they were a place higher my bad.

Tbh I think if Villa get 4 points or more from the next 2 games I'd struggle to see Villa finishing outside the top 7. Beat Brentford the weekend and Villa would be 10 points clear of them with 6 games to go. Brentford still have to go to Anfield and have Man City to play and surely should be without Toney soon.

Why 7th? With Liverpool getting all their attacking players back I think they will have a good run of form to probably finish 5th but Villa are more then capable of finishing 6th. Spurs are dropping off, I expect them to lose to Newcastle, they then have Man Utd and Liverpool at Anfield. I think Villa will be above them by the time they play Man Utd next Thursday. Brighton are a very good side but they have got alot of games to squeeze in and they have a small squad. Still have Arsenal and Man City to play too. Maybe if Brentford win the weekend they might fancy a late run but I think top 6 is realistic atm.

Goal difference is probably gonna count against Villa. Liverpool even with their poor away record to bottom half teams can just go and put 6 past Leeds, whose there game in hand? They will fancy themselves to get 5th Confident Spurs will continue be awful though, hopefully Liverpool can be as ruthless as tonight in 3 games time.

The only thing concerning me with Brentford is our away form against them. 4 losses in a row, should have beaten them last season under Gerrard - pretty sure they scored with 2 shots on target? Frustrating. If Villa do beat Brentford and Fulham then I don't see Villa finishing out top 7. It be a case of whether its Europa or Conference League.

True but top 4 is a completely different level. Newcastle and Man Utd will not drop enough points for Villa to get in just like Villa won’t win every game this season. I can already sense the disappointment IF Villa don’t make Europe when I think everybody would have took 8th when the club was sitting 11th for ages.

Think the run of wins are getting a few people carried away with talk of top 4. Fully expect Newcastle to beat Spurs next weekend and I think that will be the top 4 wrapped up. It would then require such a big drop off from Man Utd and Newcastle that’s not been seen at all by either side this season for the top 4 to open up to anybody else. 5th place however is now looking achievable. As I said I expect Newcastle to beat Spurs so if Villa can get a positive result away to Brentford and beat Fulham then should be 5th before play Man Utd away. Just wish Brighton wouldn’t have so many games in hand so could have a more accurate table on games played but their fixture congestion is gonna be a problem for them and that small squad

Pretty sure that Percy had an article saying if Villa convincingly lost to Chelsea that weekend he was going to be sacked. Think even Carragher/Neville we’re debating on MNF whether it was worth sticking or too late to sack him as who could we get to try keep us up. Remember thinking after that 4-0 loss to Leicester Monday night there was no chance of stopping up. Can’t remember if it was that game where Smith called out players in the squad as “training ground players” might have been before but it seemed his time was coming to an end. Smith used lockdown well which kept us up but I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t for Covid Villa would have been back in the Championship.

After playing mainly the bottom 9 I think now we will see how much improvement the team has made. Newcastle, Brentford (A), Fulham and Man Utd (A) are tough fixtures, apart from Fulham I guess now they are on the beach with Mitrovic banned. Could do with Kamara being back fit for this but if not then I can see Dendonker coming in and Mcginn going back out wide since Bailey looks like his gonna be out injured for a while. Not sure a Luiz/Mcginn midfield is gonna cut it against Newcastle. Not feeling confident about this game tbh, on one hand it’s Newcastles third away game in a row, away games can take their toll in the Premier League and it’s an early kick off but they are in really good form and can rely on 2 strikers who can score goals for them right now. Guess they will start Isak and bring on Wilson if they need to change the game. With Bailey injured, I think we will have Traoré and Duran as our attacking options? Just think the difference will be they have a second proven striker to bring on. Villa to take the lead and lose narrowly 1-2.