Pat Nevin has revealed one factor that could cost Aston Villa in the Premier League race.
After beating Manchester City and Arsenal in consecutive matches, it isn’t premature to suggest that Aston Villa have a chance of winning the league.
Unai Emery’s side are in third position in the table, two points behind table toppers Liverpool and five points inside the Champions League places.
It’s been an incredible start to the season so far and one that has seen Emery lead Villa on a record-breaking run of wins.
The Spaniard has dragged the Villans from the threat of relegation to title challengers in just over a year.
He’s implemented a style that is dismantling every team in their way at the moment, but for how long can they keep up this relentless form and what could derail their challenge?
Pat Nevin believes injuries could cost Aston Villa the Premier League title
Of those teams challenging for the top four, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, in particular, have felt the wrath of injuries in recent weeks.
At one point, Newcastle had 14 first-team stars on the injury table while Spurs have had to contend with losing star players Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur.
If similar were to unfold at Aston Villa – perhaps losing Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz through injury – former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin believes they wouldn’t be able to cope.
Writing in the BBC Football Extra newsletter: “It still leaves a couple of uncertainties: can they keep it up? Can they do it more often away from home? Is there enough strength and depth in the squad? In short, can they do a Leicester City and win the title unexpectedly?
“It is too soon to tell, but at least they are part of the debate. With the likes of Ollie Watkins and John McGinn popping in goals regularly, you never know. But Villa can’t go through an injury crisis like those felt at Newcastle and Tottenham, they simply couldn’t cope.”
Is Pat Nevin correct about Aston Villa?
Although Nevin is correct in what he is saying, several teams around Villa would also struggle to cope with losing their star players.
For instance, if Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah were to suffer an injury, their chances of winning the title would be significantly hampered.
The same applies to the Villans, who would be devastated by the loss of Watkins given he’s plundered 13 goals and supplied six assists in all competitions this term.
It would be nearly impossible for Emery to find a direct replacement for their prolific forward.
Villa are light on options as it is so an injury to any of their star players would possibly derail their title challenge.
