Many said I was delusional, but 16 games in the season and it seems that I am not after all. Aston Villa are currently third in the league standings after winning back-to-back games against Manchester City and Arsenal at Villa Park within seven days.
Villa Park have become a fortress, and I doubt any team would want to play against this current squad. They have come full circle, considering the last team that won against them at Villa Park were Arsenal. However, Unai Emery’s boys secured a narrow win against the previous league leaders.
It was also a bittersweet result for Emery because he finally got his revenge against his former employer. The team secured the win by playing a controlled style of football, and after getting the early goal, Emery’s men rode a bit of luck and VAR to secure the three points.
It is now 15 wins in a row for Villa, showcasing the tremendous job Emery has done in using the same set of players left behind by Steven Gerrard. It highlights how much of a difference an elite coach makes in training.
Villa hope to ride this strong momentum and secure a spot in the Champions League, a place where Emery feels they belong. Just remember, Villa have won the European Cup more times than Arsenal.
At the Theater of Dreams, it was undoubtedly a dream come true for Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth as they recorded a famous win against Manchester United. It was a nightmare performance for Erik ten Hag’s men as United struggled to find consistency after the win against Chelsea in midweek.
Bournemouth played high-pressing football and suffocated United at every opportunity, which earned them the win.
They beautifully constructed all three goals and Ten Hag’s men chased shadows throughout the game.
Kudos to the management of Bournemouth for sticking with faith in Iraola after a tough start. Iraola is asserting his authority in the way Bournemouth have played in the last couple of games and could be a banana skin against any team.
Will Ten Hag get the same type of support in the upcoming weeks?
It’s a make-or-break week for Ten Hag as United face Champions League elimination against Bayern Munich on Tuesday before traveling to Anfield to face their greatest rival next Sunday.
Ten Hag is hoping for a bounce back, and if the team play the way they did today, it could be a cricket score against the new league leaders.
Liverpool showed little interest in going on top of the table for the first 75 minutes against Crystal Palace. It took the sending off of Jordan Ayew and introduction of Harvey Elliot to change the outcome of the game.
In every league-winning side, a game-changer from the bench is necessary, and Liverpool have it in Elliot. At 20 years old, Elliot exuded football IQ, and his introduction helped the Reds secure three points and the league leadership.
Elliot moved the ball faster against Palace’s low block, and the way he opened the right-hand side resulted in Mohamed Salah scoring his 200th goal for Liverpool and his 150th in the Premier League.
It’s a splendid milestone for a player that some pundits dubbed as a one-season wonder. Liverpool are hoping to build on this lead and position themselves as contenders for this year’s title race.
Manchester City recorded their first win since November, with a comeback victory against Luton.
They won without their main striker, Erling Haaland, to the dismay of many Fantasy Managers. City wasted too many chances with all their possessions.
No one will put it past Pep Guardiola to make the necessary fixes to ensure that City will still be in the title race come Christmas.
Tottenham created some separation from Newcastle with a 4-1 victory at home.
Richarlison might have scored two goals, but the star of the show was Son Heung-min, who put England’s No. 1 right back, Kieran Trippier, in a tailspin to set up the second goal.
Spurs were purring as a team, to the delight of Ange Postecoglou.
It will be an interesting couple of weeks leading up to the New Year. As a fan, many would be delighted to see a potential four-horse title race.
Could Villa sustain their effort? Will Arsenal bounce back? Could it be Liverpool’s year again or will City win their fourth in a row?
Whatever it is, the winners of it all are the neutrals! Finally, some competitive balance!
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