The announcement has been made that the Premier League are stepping up their plans to resume the season in June. Clubs are back training, and the vote has recently been passed to allow contact training commence. The anticipated date that action looks set to resume is the 19th June, with Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Norwich City currently in the bottom three.
However, it could be argued that the break in play has helped Villa more than the remainder of the teams in the fight against relegation and there could be a newfound vigour abut Dean Smith’s side when the season finally resumes. But, why should the Villa faithful be confident that safety is now within their grasps?
Players Returning From Injury
There was a fear with the Villa that injuries were going to play a damaging role in their chances of staying in the top-flight. It would have been devastating for fans to see the club relegated back to the Championship after just one season and the main reason for the downturn in form being injuries depleting the squad. However, when the season resumes, the Villa will be back up to near-full strength.
John McGinn was close to a comeback before the suspension kicked in, but the Scot will be integral to freeing up Jack Grealish for the remainder of the season. Villa are certainly not the same side without McGinn in it, and his return could be like a new signing ahead of the final ten games for the Villa.
The club have also been boosted by the news that Tom Heaton will be ready for a recall when the season resumes, which means the Villa will have two of their best players back in contention ready to hit the ground running.
Other Clubs In Turmoil
Villa have been going about their business quietly over the past couple of months, which has ensured that there is no additional pressure on them when the Premier League resumes. Brighton & Hove Albion’s chairman Tony Bloom has been vocal on his beliefs regarding how the season should be ended, and so have Karen Brady for West Ham United. Troy Deeney has also been a stern advocate that the Premier League no longer has ‘integrity’. All these statements are set to increase the focus on their respective teams’ performances when the league restarts again.
There is already enough pressure at the bottom of the league that these statements could be the tipping point that ensures that the pressure overwhelms them. Bournemouth are also set to lose a number of players, with Jordan Ibe reportedly already leaving when his contract expires.
Meanwhile, there are still questions surrounding whether Ryan Fraser will end the season with the Cherries. Should Fraser depart the club in the midst of a relegation battle, then Bournemouth’s hopes of survival could be over given that he is an instrumental player for them in the final third.
