Aston Villa could have been at the top of the Premier League table if they had beaten Sheffield United on Friday, following the draw between Arsenal and Liverpool.
c rescued a late point for Unai Emery’s side at Villa Park, cancelling out Cameron Archer’s opener. A win would see Villa climb top of the table and await the outcome between the Reds and the
Gunners.
Aston Villa must “make more of a statement” than signing Villarreal striker Ben Brereton Diaz during the 2024 winter window at Villa Park, as transfer insider Dean Jones considers the claim made by pundit Micah Richards.
Unai Emery’s Villans squad have enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2023/24 Premier League season and have ensured their progression to the last-16 of the Europa Conference League, having topped their group.
Villa could look to the January market to bolster their chances of qualifying for the 2024/25 Champions League, sensing a one-off opportunity that might not present itself again. Brereton Diaz could be available on the market after struggling to adapt to life at Villarreal following his arrival in La Liga during the 2023 summer transfer window – he’s yet to score for them.
Few people would have expected Aston Villa to be firmly in a Premier League title race heading into the Christmas period of the 2023/24 season. However, the Villans keep improving under Emery after the former Arsenal head coach took over from Steven Gerrard towards the end of 2022.
Emery has taken Villa from relegation candidates to Europa Conference League competitors, and the West Midlands outfit will feel they have a fantastic chance of at least finishing in the Premier League’s top four and subsequently securing qualification for next term’s Champions League. However, Villa may need to strengthen during the 2024 winter transfer window to sustain their impressive form.
