Aston Villa have enjoyed a stunning rise up the Premier League table and have won 13 of their last 15 games in all competitions - but there is a major split over whether they're title contenders or not
Paul Merson speaking about Aston Villa's season on Sky Sports
Paul Merson speaking about Aston Villa's season on Sky Sports
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Can Aston Villa win the Premier League? It's a question being asked widely following the Villans' remarkable rise up the table in recent months and last weekend's win over title favourites Arsenal.
Victory over Mikel Arteta's Gunners made it five straight league wins for Unai Emery's men, with Emi Buendia's 95th minute winner pushing Villa just three points off the top. And after a run of 13 wins in 15 matches in all competitions since mid-September, some pundits are suggesting they may well be in the title mix this term.
On Friday, Arsenal boss Arteta hinted once more he believes the title race is down to more than just his side and Manchester City - intimating that he feels Villa can be contenders, having witnessed first hand the wild scenes that followed Buendia's late strike seven days ago.
But one man less sure about the Villan's title credentials is Paul Merson despite hailing "outstanding" Unai Emery and the club's "phenomenal' recent run. He believes the club's squad doesn't have the depth that other title contenders boast and believes that the wait for a trophy at B6 means Emery may well prioritise European glory when the season hits its home straight.
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Former Villa captain Merson, speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, said: “I’d have to wait and see if they’re still there in March.
“I think they’ve been absolutely unbelievable. Outstanding. He’s a top, top manager. Makes players better. I just think if push comes to shove… you’ve got remember where it started from, they had a terrible start to the season. They were on a losing streak, second bottom, couldn’t win a game.
“Now Ollie Watkins hasn’t got going. It’s phenomenal. But I just think the manager would want to win the Europa League. I just think, 30 years, 1996, they haven’t won a trophy. Them fans, massive football club Aston Villa, I was fortunate to play there. A brilliant club.
“They would rather win a trophy, surely, than finish third or fourth.
“I don’t see them winning the league. I don’t. It’s a grind, it’s a grind over that many games and their squad’s not massive. And a number of players are playing to the absolute, absolute, best of their ability. [And] they haven’t had a lot of injuries recently.”
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