Leicester vs. Aston Villa: More Away Day Joy?
This is the sort of fixture that can say a lot or not much. Bottom line, it’s about whether looking up and digging in to keep pace or move higher mean more to Villa than do perilous straits to Leicester.
Chelsea vs Aston Villa: A Telling Day
Villa head to Stamford Bridge level on points with Chelsea. The simplest way of looking at it from a Villa perspective is do the squad have enough belief to edge past the hosts into the top half?
Aston Villa vs. Bournemouth: Banana Skin or Launching Point?
Bournemouth will understandably have a bit of desperation in them and Villa’s job is to keep that at arm’s length. Ideally, turn it against them. But three points would go a very long way for the Cherries given the brutal congestion below Villa’s 35 points. Three for Villa could see us finish the weekend above Chelsea, though that’s asking a lot of Everton.
West Ham vs Aston Villa: Will This Meeting Be Different?
The philosophy equals the points. The philosophy, the club mentality is the pathway. That’s Emery’s pre-match message: You establish the philosophy, and good things follow. That means he’s less concerned with Europe than he is with foundations. It’s also true that Unai will be looking at the run-in and thinking we should be in with a shout in all of them.
Aston Villa vs. Crystal Palace: Time for a bit of a Run?
Here we are on matchday with Villa looking to perhaps pass Chelsea and lay claim on 10th. But it’s never easy against Palace, and you have to think Chelsea will stop fumbling around sooner or later. But maybe they have to fire Potter, first.