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At one point it seemed inevitable that Aston Villa would secure a place in the top three of the Premier League, yet the mood in the West Midlands has become worrying.
Villa, once the most in-form side in the league, are now locked in a tight battle for the top five.
With just one win in their last five league matches, they have relinquished their grip on the title race and given their rivals new motivation to displace them in the table.
Stunned at Molineux
Their latest setback was a frustrating 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in Friday night’s West Midlands derby.
After the match, manager Unai Emery admitted there was a creeping sense of panic within his squad, and acknowledged the frustration of allowing competitors to capitalize on their problems.
Emery responds
As quoted in The subwayreflected the Spaniard:
“In September I was worried and the aim was to stay in the Premier League. In December I was so happy and excited to finish in the top five and reach the Champions League.”
“A month ago I dreamed of maybe winning the Premier League. Now we are on average to be in the top five.”
“Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, they are trying to reach us, for them it is a priority to get into the Champions League.”
The ball is in United’s court
That fear may soon be justified. Should Manchester United dismiss Crystal Palace on Sunday, they would leapfrog to third place, leaving Villa with the daunting task of regaining the position.
But the fixture list offers little respite for the Villans with clashes with fellow Champions League contenders Chelsea and then a trip to Old Trafford next weekend making Emery’s quest for a top three finish increasingly difficult.
For United, however, the opportunities are clear. Finishing third is not something they can afford to waste, unlike the many opportunities to climb the rankings squandered under Ruben Amorim.
Now unbeaten in 10 games, six of which have been led by head coach Michael Carrick, United have built momentum that could even propel them into the title conversation, provided they keep up this flawless run.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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