Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest closed out a satisfying and impressive week for Villa, having also dispatched Brighton and progressing to the FA Cup semifinals. One week, three matches, three victories, with the last being the hardest of the lot. The difficulty now goes up another level with PSG away.
Another Boxing Day, another breakdown. Naturally it was disappointing, as was the officiating that contributed to it. That’s been much more the focus than the match itself, which is never a good thing.
Leipzig are a good side with plenty of CL experience that hasn’t yet won in this year’s competition after a very tough string of opponents. They’re also the second-most high-pressing team in the competition. So far, no German team has beaten an English side in this year’s edition. These are the kinds of things you don’t like to read.
Now that the dust has settled and the links are flying fast and furious, it’s probably time to turn our heads to the rumors gaining steam. It’s also probably not overly dramatic to say this may well be a crucial summer for Villa’s and Emery’s project.
The extra ECL matches, plus a league run-in that isn’t easy, and we can all see why it’s a big deal that Villa have managed to get maximum points against Sheffield, Fulham, Forest, and Luton. They simply wouldn’t have gotten all 12 on offer in the past.
