JUST IN: Paul Merson feels that if Aston Villa defeats Arsenal on Saturday, they will be contenders for the Premier League crown.

Benjamin Bull December 9, 2023

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If Aston Villa defeats leaders Arsenal at Villa Park this weekend, Paul Merson thinks they’ll be a serious contender for the Premier League championship.

On Wednesday, Villa overcame Manchester City, the triple champions, at home to climb up to third place and extend their league-winning streak to 14 games at home.

‘If Villa beat Arsenal then they’re in the title race’

This football game is huge. It might significantly affect the fight for the Premier League championship.

You have to give Aston Villa a chance if they can go on to overcome the winners and runners-up of the previous season in four days, following up their victory over Man City and Arsenal.

Even though they don’t have the best away form, winning the league is still possible if you can improve your away performances given their incredible record at Villa Park.

Similarly, losing does not mean the end of the world. They are still considered one of the favorites for the top four, but a victory would force you to consider them for the championship.

However, Arsenal will also be put to the test greatly in this game. They are playing a really big game. Arsenal must be considered the clear favorite for the Premier League if they can defeat Villa Park and break their incredible home record.

Villa worries me in this match. Or maybe it’s just a bit of a stretch. That victory versus Manchester City was the result of a lot of work. Arsenal benefits greatly from having an extra day of rest as well.

‘Every Villa player knows exactly what he is doing’

However, I haven’t seen any team defeat Manchester City like Aston Villa did. Of course, City has suffered defeats in football games. Every group does. But the way Villa was defeated, I’ve never seen anyone handle them like that. It was outstanding.

They had almost fifteen straight shots on goal at one point in the contest.

I adore the speed with which they perform. They shut down the City players in order to get around them, and once they regain possession of the ball, they break swiftly. Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey have excellent speed.

All of the players are aware of their responsibilities, and Unai Emery has them playing as a cohesive unit. Everyone is aware of what is expected of them.

On Wednesday, I watched Manchester United, and they narrowly defeated Chelsea. Everybody went, and every player fulfilled their role. You get completely destroyed if one or two players don’t perform up to par, especially at Villa Park on a large football field.

I appreciate how they all know when to close down and they do it as a pack. They also break with incredible speed when they recover the ball.

“The sleeping giant, Villa, has woken up.”

It is an incredible football team. I think they are a sleeping giant. Many have been waiting for it to awaken, and at last it has.

The league doesn’t really start until eight games remain, therefore it’s quite difficult to cover 38 games. Right now, everyone’s only concern is staying in place and moving forward with the group.

Things are very different by the time the final eight games arrive. Last season, we seen that with Arsenal. The pressure just becomes stronger, but what Villa is doing right now is incredible. They have good players on their football squad that put forth a lot of effort for one another.

It is a huge credit to Aston Villa that I believe this game may go any way this coming Sunday.