Are Villa title contenders?

[Shogun]

Following on from my brilliant Brighton are winning the league thread earlier this season, what do we reckon with Villa?

Easy to say no because we're not even half-way through the season but it's not like this is just 16 matches, they've been excellent for the whole of 2023. I think only Man City have picked up more points this calendar year.

[CannockPricey]

I absolutely hope not. Will be chuck myself off a cliff time if these complete and utter tools win it.

In short no though. Emery has sadly done an exceptional job but there is no way they can keep it up all season long.

Hopefully the whole balloon spectacularly bursts from a horrific Martinez balls up asap.

[CannockPricey]

That said they are going top Friday night and I need to make sure I avoid the open top bus parade which will be attended by the same exact half a million who all went to the '82 European Cup final...

[Stumpy]

At the moment you have to say yes.
There's nobody pulling up trees elsewhere
City have looked off it for a while now, the shite have made a meal of beating 2 poor out of form bottom 6 teams and couldn't beat a piss poor man utd team at home and i'm still not convinced arsenal are all that.
Villa looked to be heading for defeat at brentford yesterday but stuck at it and got 2 late goals to turn the game around, that's what winners do.
Obviously if injuries strike then they could struggle, namely if watkins misses a number of games could they cope then?
In all probability one of the above teams will put an unbeaten run together and tie up the title, but at the moment, yeah villa are in the mix.

[MayorFarnham]

It feels like the league takes shape early on and doesn't really change much throughout the season in modern day football. I think Villa will stay up there but ultimately won't have enough to win it.

[Bluedylan1]

Don't think they've got the squad depth ultimately, when injuries and suspensions hit and also don't think they're accustomed to dealing with pressure in March-April-May. We saw what impact that had on Arsenal last season.

A Champs League spot should be their realistic aim, and that would be an incredible achievement.

[cassius]

This season's Newcastle and could definitely make the top 4. I guess will depend on injuries and the form of the others.

Their home form is incredible. You'll have to be a really good team, a top top team, to win at Villa Park this year. In any competition.

[Goaljira]

You can't discount them. This isn't a season where City get 90 points. Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa and City. Its from those.

Villa have the belief, and have continued a rich vein of form from one season to the next much like Leicester did, and you can't beat a bit of belief.

[AjaxAndy]

Nope.

For Villa to do a Leicester it would take 3 other clubs to massively balls it up, and I just don't see that happening.

Not wanting to diminish what Leicester achieved, but it took an unusual set of circumstances to allow it to happen, and I don't feel that will happen again for a long time.

Happy for them though even if not everyone in here is, great to see a club that's outside the usual suspects up there holding their own.

[Shogun]

Villa are a genuinely good team though, Leicester wasn't.

Leicester had three good players and a bonkers not very good manager and somehow it managed to work with some other clubs not having good seasons and playing a ridiculously direct 442.

At least every starting player in this Villa side is quality and they have a quality manager whilst they actually play like a top team.

There's no comparison with Leicester imo.

[AjaxAndy]

Villa are a genuinely good team though, Leicester wasn't.

Leicester had three good players and a bonkers not very good manager and somehow it managed to work with some other clubs not having good seasons and playing a ridiculously direct 442.

At least every starting player in this Villa side is quality and they have a quality manager whilst they actually play like a top team.

There's no comparison with Leicester imo.

No doubt Villa are a very good team, but I still think it'd take something extraordinary for them to maintain it over a full season with all the demands on their squad, and then for Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City to all fail too.

Obviously City aren't performing so that's one that's falling by the way side, however they also do this sometimes and then go on a mad winning run and blow everyone away.

Think they'll deservedly get top 4, but don't see them maintaining this form all season, or all of the others not performing enough to allow them to win the league.

Would be good if it happened though!

[blueforyou]

Their next 4 PL games:

H Sheff U 3pts
A Man U 1pt
H Burnley 3pts
A Us 0pts

[blueToffee]

I think Arsenal, Liverpool and Villa will end up fairly close to each other as they all have their issues. All of them I've seen look pretty poor in surprisingly numerous games (mostly away from home) this season and have been very lucky to pick up 3 pts as often as they have done in some of those games. Of the three Villa have played the best so far, the others have ground out wins with just having better players than most other teams but they've not looked convincing...albeit I expect they don't care if they keep on getting wins.

Man City will struggle along with the rest of the pack if KDB doesn't come back fit, if he does and can play second half of the season then I'd expect them to catch up and eventually pass the others.

It's going to be a lower points total this year though, so that does open the door for a surprise.

[Stumpy]

That was a killer for them last night.
Would have led the table at xmas had they won.
After 14 or 15 straight wins at home it's sheff utd who trip them up

[CannockPricey]

And another killer tonight. Thankfully we can now file this existential nightmare under "Nope - won't happen". Thank fuck.