Stephen Warnock, a pundit, has commented on Aston Villa’s chances of finishing in the top four after Unai Emery’s side fell 4-0 to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.
Aston Villa had a forgettable week last week, with two players sent off and no goals in two crucial games.
The 0-0 stalemate with Ajax, in which Ezri Konsa was sent off, was less disappointing than Sunday’s setback to Tottenham, in which Unai Emery’s team allowed four goals at home.
While the Villans have the opportunity to go to the next round of the Europa Conference League with the second leg against Ajax at Villa Park, their top-four chances suffered a setback against the Lilywhites.
With only two points separating Spurs in fifth and Villa in fourth, and the North Londoners having a game in hand, the Villans will look to make amends with 10 games remaining in the quest for fourth place.
What Stephen Warnock has said regarding Aston Villa’s top-four prospects
In response to Ange Postecoglou’s 4-0 setback on The 2 Robbies podcast, pundit Stephen Warnock outlined one area that he believes will be damaging to Villa in the run-in.
“At the beginning of the season, you would’ve said 6th and try and have a run in the Europa Conference League however, some of the football they’ve played has been phenomenal but they don’t have the depth and that’s the big issue.”
After finishing seventh last season, regardless of whether Villa finishes in the top four, Emery’s squad has made excellent improvement with only 10 games remaining in the season.
Warnock also discussed the impact Villa’s injuries have had on their quest to finish in the Champions League spots.
“You think at the beginning of the season to lose Tyrone Mings, Buendia and then lose Kamara, and he’s vitally important.”
It might be worse, but it could be far better for Aston Villa.
Many people believed that losing Boubacar Kamara would spell the end of Villa’s season because of what he provides to Emery’s team and the irreplaceable aura he exudes.
Following the midfielder’s ACL injury, John McGinn stepped in and thrived, relieving some of the strain while also demonstrating how adaptable this club is.
The Scotsman is now suspended for three games after receiving a red card against Spurs, leaving the midfield even more empty and giving Emery yet another selection dilemma ahead of three difficult games.
The Villans’ next three trials are against West Ham, Wolves, and Manchester City, three games that will test their depth to a level not seen yet this season.
Returning to Warnock’s words, depth will play a key role in who finishes fourth, but given how Villa has kept up with the others despite their horrible injury record this season, don’t write anyone off just yet.
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