“Aston Villa’s Champions League Ambitions: Can They Defy the Odds Again?”
Unai Emery’s team surprised many, including their own fans, by securing a top-four finish last season.
Now, Aston Villa is set to compete in the Champions League, aiming to showcase their talents against some of Europe’s best teams.
Last season, Aston Villa demonstrated their ability to handle midweek games while still performing well in the Premier League. However, some believe that participating in Europe’s top competition could affect their chances of finishing in the top four again.
This is Jamie Carragher’s view, but former Arsenal striker Ian Wright quickly reminded him of the quality of their manager and the new signings they’ve made this summer.
Wright highlighted the arrival of Amadou Onana from Everton and Ian Maatsen from Chelsea, who helped Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League final last season—Onana mentioned that a Villa player played a role in his decision to join.
Initially, Wright had predicted Liverpool to finish in the top four, but he later changed his mind in favor of Villa, as he mentioned on the Stick to Football podcast.
Aston Villa is being backed to finish in the top four.
“We can’t leave Villa out of the top four,” said Wright. “Not with the way Emery is working and the signings he’s made. You can’t exclude Villa.”
Gary Neville then reminded Wright, “You initially said Liverpool.” To which Wright replied, “I’ve changed my mind. We’re making predictions without knowing exactly what will happen. Villa has made some great signings—that’s what I’m saying, it’s all about the manager. They’ve got a goalscorer. Strong midfielders. Onana has joined them. Maatsen at left-back. I’m telling you, Ezri Konsa in defense. Their whole spine is solid.”
Carragher then remarked, “Villa won’t make the top four. I think the Champions League will mentally drain them.”
It’s been a busy period for Villa, and they are expected to bring in and offload more players before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.
Diego Carlos’ future at Villa is uncertain, as the center-back didn’t feature in the team’s final pre-season loss at Dortmund.
Meanwhile, the focus in the coming weeks will likely be on Villa’s forward positions and the future of Jhon Duran.
Chelsea might hijack Aston Villa’s pursuit of Joao Felix, with Emery eager to sign the player, but no agreement has been reached yet.