Tim Sherwood has weighed in on the titanic top-four battle that is starting to erupt between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
Both teams are craving Champions League football and are scrapping it out for that all-important fourth spot.
Yes, fifth spot can become available for Champions League football, but you simply can’t take that risk because it isn’t a certainty.
Tim Sherwood spoke about the upcoming showdown between Aston Villa and Tottenham this Sunday by stating both teams have ‘all the ingredients’ to secure that spot, as he told Premier League Productions (02/03/24 at 7:50 pm).
The former Aston Villa and Spurs boss was correct to highlight Pau Torres as the ‘difference maker’ in the team and the ‘formidable’ partnership he has built with Ezri Konsa.
The only issue is that the last time those two were able to play together was back in December because of injuries, so it’s crucial they are available for Sunday.
Of course, Aston Villa have a European fixture against Ajax to deal with before they can think about Ange Postecoglou’s men.
But, as Tim Sherwood rightfully pointed out, life will become ‘very, very difficult’ for the London club if they lose at the weekend.
The race for the top-four
“They play Tottenham next week, if they beat Tottenham, then it’s going to be very difficult for Tottenham to catch them for the top-four,” said Sherwood.
“Possibly top five for Champions League this year, we don’t know yet. Finishing in the top-four for Aston Villa, he (Emery) is well ahead of schedule in the development of that side.
“Pau Torres is the difference-maker for him because he allows them to play that high line, with Konsa back in there now. Formidable that partnership. The goalkeeper is still one of the best goalkeepers in the league. He looks like he is commanding. You have to work very hard to score past Martinez. I think he takes crosses under pressure.
“They have got all the ingredients to go on and finish in the top four. But so have Tottenham and it’s going to go right to the end. That head-to-head is crucial.”
A lot of games still to play…
If you had offered this position to Villa at the start of the season, then fans would have bitten your hand off, especially given that it has been a season in Europe and the team have suffered 3 ACL injuries.
The same could be said for Spurs. The manner in which they have reacted to losing Harry Kane has probably been better than most people expected, not forgetting that they too have had injury woes.
All in all, it sets up a quite frantic ending to the season and you just know these two teams are going to go one way and one way only, and that’s attack, attack, attack.
Forget about goals, it’s holding onto those leads, not conceding the first goal, their ability to defend set-plays and keeping clean sheets that might just prove to be the difference, rather than the attack.
