Eight games to go for Aston Villa and Unai Emery to learn their Champions League fate.
That fourth spot is very important in the team taking a massive step into the elite next season and rewarding themselves after a brilliant campaign.
Aston Villa’s 2-0 win over Wolves on Saturday certainly helped matters because it came hours after fifth-placed Tottenham beat Luton Town.
Peter Schmeichel stated Villa’s win over their Midlands rivals was ‘very convincing’ and he thinks the team looks ‘very solid’.
The legendary goalkeeper added that Emery has ‘at all times’ someone who can ‘change the game’ for the team, as he told MatchDay Extra on Premier League Productions (30/03/24 at 11:05 pm).
Over the weekend, it was Moussa Diaby stealing the headlines after his thunderous opener started the ball rolling in the first half.
But Schmeichel wanted to give Emiliano Martinez his flowers for the 31-year-old’s ‘massive, massive save’ in the first half.
When the game was goalless, Aston Villa’s number one stopped Rayan Ait Nouri from scoring at point-blank range.
That proved to be a critical moment and Schmeichel was sure to highlight it when praising his former side in their race for Champions League football.
Emiliano Martinez helps Aston Villa beat Wolves
“It was very, very convincing,” said Schmeichel about Villa’s win over Wolves. “Aston Villa, they look very solid.
“In that team, they have got someone who can change the game for them at all times. We saw the goalkeeper (Ait Nouri save), it’s the reason why he is a world champion. It was a massive, massive save. Wolves could have gone 1-0 up and that probably would have changed the game.
“They have so many great players, but they aren’t the superstars.”
Up next: Manchester City
The positive is that the team will head to the Etihad on Wednesday night to take on Manchester City with a spring in their step.
Many will be expecting Villa to lose this, so that lack of pressure could play into the team’s favour.
Ollie Watkins was subbed off with a hamstring injury against Wolves, so fans are waiting to see whether he will start.
But whoever does play, you just hope Emery goes all out and pushes for the win, rather than playing for a draw like Arsenal did against Man City on Sunday.
