Gary Neville has shared a bolt prediction on Aston Villa ahead of the Premier League run-in.
Villa are currently three points clear of Tottenham, having played one game more, and Manchester United sit nine points adrift but also hold a game in hand.
The 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham was the first sign of Unai Emery’s side running out of steam and Neville has predicted one of Villa or Spurs to “blow up” before the end of the season.
What has Gary Neville said about the top four race?
Talking on the latest Overlap fan debate, the Sky Sports pundit said: “It feels like you’re both not sure [Villa and Spurs]. That defeat to Fulham at home was an absolute shocker. We will look back on that at the end of the season. Had United had those extra three points they’d have been right in it.
“We could win the FA Cup and we could even sneak into the Champions League if fifth place does get it. They [Tottenham and Villa] have it in them to blow up. They have it in them to sort of wobble.”
Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United’s fixtures assessed
Firstly, let’s take a look at Villa’s upcoming fixtures.
- Wolves (H)
- Manchester City (A)
- Brentford (H)
- Arsenal (A)
- Bournemouth (H)
- Chelsea (H)
- Brighton (A)
- Liverpool (H)
- Crystal Palace (A)
A clever piece of analysis from Soccer statshas calculated the average points per game of each Premier League side’s remaining opponents.
Unfortunately for Villa, their remaining fixtures have an average PPG of 1.61, which is considerably less than Manchester United’s and Tottenham’s.
United, statistically, have the easiest run of fixtures, with their combined opponents’ average PPG measuring 1.30. Tottenham’s is marginally higher, with Ange Postecoglou’s side’s upcoming opponents’ average PPG coming in at 1.46.
With Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool still to play, it’s evident that Emery’s side will have to do it the hard way if they want to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Villa have a mixed record against the current top six. Of course, the wins against Manchester City and Liverpool stand out, but four defeats from seven games are cause for concern.
Realistically, Villa need to get a result against either City, Arsenal or Liverpool, three losses could see one of United or Spurs snatch fourth place towards the back end of the campaign.
Points cannot be dropped against the lesser teams, starting with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ visit on Saturday evening.
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