Aston Villa preparing for quarter-finals in two competitions and battling away for another high finish in the Premier League
John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Marcus Rashford of Aston Villa during the UEFA Champions League
John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Marcus Rashford of Aston Villa during the UEFA Champions League
Aston Villa are currently fighting on three fronts with Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup campaigns all combining to give Unai Emery what could be an historic season.
A quarter-final tie with Paris Saint-German makes the mouth water, the FA Cup last eight trip to Preston offers the promise of a trip to Wembley – and the chase for a top five spot in the Premier League has concertinaed.
Villa might look adrift in ninth but in reality they are only three points shy of Man City in what is likely to be the final Champions League qualifying spot for next season.
Fulham, Brighton and Newcastle sit in between them and what would be a remarkable second successive qualification.
Indeed Villa could make it into Europe’s elite competition for 2025/26 by emulating the heroes of 1982 and winning it 43 years on.
In truth they might need to because the statisticians Opta believe Villa will finish eighth, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, City and Newcastle finishing in the top five.
Chelsea are predicted sixth, Brighton seventh and Villa next. Indeed they reckon Villa will compile 58.38 points and have just a 2.75% chance of qualifying for the CL through league position.
Quite what eighth translates to is anyone’s guess. There could be as many as 11 European places on offer to the Premier League this season, depending on coefficients and whether English clubs win the Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and who wins the FA Cup – and where they finish in the league.
Opta reckon Villa have just a 4.63% chance of qualifying for the Europa League if they finish eighth.
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