A statistic that monitors the home form of players in the Premier League has revealed why Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were so wrong about Aston Villa earlier in the season.
Aston Villa have defied the odds this season, with Unai Emery’s side sitting comfortably in fourth place, five points clear of Spurs and eight points clear of Manchester United.
Given the injuries that the Villans have suffered this campaign, it’s an unbelievable achievement for the Midlands club to be within the top six, let alone leading the race for a Champions League place.
The manager and his players have done an admirable job to keep the club up with the best this season, with new statistics showcasing just how well Villa have done at Villa Park this term.
The statistics that show how Aston Villa dominate the Premier League at home
As relayed by Aston Villa Statto on Twitter X, the Villans dominate the Premier League standings when it comes to most goal contributions at home.
Only five players in the league have been directly involved in more than 10 goals at home this campaign, with three of the top five being representatives of Villa.
Leon Bailey, Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins are joined by Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland as the top five in the league in this decimal, portraying just how consistently dangerous the Villa trio have been.
The statistic won’t come as a surprise to those who consistently watch Villa, with the trio paving the way towards a fourth-place finish all season, although somehow, some still underestimate the achievements of Emery’s top players.
Why Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were so wrong about Aston Villa
In January, fans were left confused when Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville revealed their team of the season at the halfway point.
Both of the pundits failed to include a single Villa player in their team of the season, with Watkins, Luiz and Bailey not deemed good enough to make the cut.
The statistic regarding home goal contributions explains once again why the duo were so wrong to exclude the Villa trio from their selections, with Luiz, Watkins and Bailey performing considerably better at home than those selected ahead of them.
For example, the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Son Heung-min, Bernardo Silva and Cole Palmer were chosen ahead of the three Villa players in their respective positions.
While Bailey, Watkins and Luiz have all hit over 10 goal contributions at home this season, none of the four representatives that were chosen ahead of them have, via Sofascore, furtherly conveying how questionable the choices were.
Pundits have been called out all season for their under-appreciation of Villa’s success and all the hurdles the squad have overcome, with a lot of questions to be answered if Emery’s squad do indeed make the top four.
