After a fantastic campaign last time around the future is looking very bright for Aston Villa. Last year saw The Villans finish in the coveted fourth position which guaranteed the club Champions League football for the first time in their history (since the name change anyway, Villa have won the European Cup before as we know all too well).
With all this in mind, this current season is shaping up to be a massive one for Aston Villa as they will hope to put another marker down and kick on even further from last year. Manager, Unai Emery will see Champions League qualification as vital for The Villans and the prognosis looks good with bookmakers having Aston Villa at 3/1 to make the top four again this time around. There are plenty of free bets and promotions available at the moment as well so there could be a few quid to be made here, as I think Villa look very well-equipped to compete again this season. Here is why I think they will get the job done again.
Quality Summer Signings
First of all the preparation and pre-season for this season has gone off without a hitch. No serious injuries were sustained and the squad is now more well-equipped to deal with a long hard season in the Premier League in tandem with European football. Key positions have been bolstered with the likes of Amadou Onana joining the ranks from Everton, and Ross Barkley returning for a second stint from Luton.
The acquisition of Samuel Illing-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea who The Villans managed to snap up from Italian giants Juventus should also not be overlooked. Personally, I think these two signings are some of the most exciting the club have made in years and both players are in their early twenties they could light up the pitch at Villa Park for many years to come. All of these additions should give Villa the strength and depth they need to fight on all fronts this season.
Key Fixtures
Now the season started well with an away win against West Ham United, but The Villans were brought back down to earth at the weekend as Arsenal Took all three points away from Villa Park. This was a game that could have had a different outcome if Villa had taken their chances, but a lot of teams will struggle to get anything off Arsenal this season so I am certain Emery will get the lads refocused for the upcoming games, and they will put the result behind them quickly.
The two fixtures that the Villa faithful will have their eyes on this side of Christmas are the home tie against Manchester United on October 6th and the trip to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur on November 2nd. If they manage to take at least four points from these games and keep themselves in the running for the top four in the meantime then it would be more than fair to say that Villa has to be taken seriously as a genuine contender for the Champions League places this time around as well.
The week after the Spurs game a trip to Anfield looms over the horizon, this is another tough place for any team to go, but again is another chance for Aston Villa to put a marker down and show the other teams that they mean business.
The last two games of the campaign could well be the most interesting though (as long as the fixtures don’t get rescheduled). Villa Play Tottenham at home then on the final day of the season will go to Old Trafford to play The Red Devils. These two games could well be deciders for European places, either way, this season is set to be an exciting one.
