On Saturday night, Aston Villa takes on Luton Town in an attempt to solidify their top-four standing under manager Unai Emery.
The Villans enter the match fresh off victories against Nottingham Forest and Fulham in the Premier League.
Emery has also been encouraged by Ezri Konsa’s return to training after missing Villa’s last four games due to a sprained knee.
Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United in the Premier League
Image courtesy of Getty Images via CameraSport and Alex Dodd.
Paul Merson, a commentator for Sky Sports, has shared his predictions for the Kenilworth Road match before of it.
Paul Merson is supporting Aston Villa versus Luton Town.
According to Merson’s weekly essay for Sportskeeda, Villa will be too strong for their hosts.
“Aston Villa is a strong, well-coached team right now, so I’ll go with them to win here,” he stated.
“Elijah Adebayo’s absence will be a major factor as well. Luton will cause teams problems at home and have been very good at Kenilworth Road this season, but their confidence will be shot after conceding six against Manchester City.”
Merson went on to say, “I think Tottenham and Villa are in the running for a top-four spot right now, because Manchester United is a million miles away from that.”
“At the moment, Spurs are too exposed at the back for my comfort, so I think I’ll go with Villa to secure UEFA Champions League football next season. Aston Villa 1-2 Luton Town.
Rivals could be under siege from Aston Villa.
With last week’s results, Tottenham’s lead grew to five points.
Villa’s outstanding performance will put more pressure on teams like Manchester United and Spurs.
But going forward, Emery needs to strike a balance with Villa’s obligations. On March 7, the Conference League will take center stage as the intriguing Ajax tie becomes more and more apparent.
It will be intriguing to watch how the Villa manager balances his team’s aspirations for the Conference League and the Champions League because there is a real opportunity for European hardware that cannot be missed.
In anticipation of the Luton match, the Villa manager may start Konsa right back in the starting lineup following Pau Torres’ forced substitution during the victory over Forest.
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