Posted by Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher thinks Aston Villa has a shot at matching Newcastle’s Premier League result from a year ago.
Carragher made these comments after Villa’s 4-1 thrashing of West Ham on Sunday.
With goals from Douglas Luiz, Ollie Watkins, and Leon Bailey, Unai Emery’s team won their 11th straight game at home.
After nine games, Villa is in fifth place, two points behind league leaders Manchester City.
As a result, some have speculated that they have a shot at a top-four finish, even ahead of teams like Chelsea and Manchester United.
If you think about last year, you might remember that Newcastle qualified for the Champions League. It was assumed all season that they wouldn’t succeed. But in the end, they succeeded.
Aston Villa will have a difficult time. If Newcastle had European football last season, they wouldn’t have had a problem qualifying for the Champions League.
There will be a lot more Thursday-Sunday [fixtures] following the holidays due to their participation in the European Conference League, which I expect them to win given the manager’s track record in Europe. Carragher said that to Sky Sports, “that might be the only problem they have.”