Villa or Newcastle?
Battle to be the best of the rest? Neither team should be looking to settle for that, and with a 5th ECL spot potentially up for grabs, both sets of fans will be quietly confident that come what may, they will be residing in one of those spots. In Newcastle’s case, they will more than likely seem the favourites of the two considering they are coming off the back of a fantastic season which has already seen then return to Europe’s premier competition, coupled in with some impressive signings and the Saudi backed team will be looking to stamp down their marker and establish themselves as a side that can consistently mix it with the big boys. However it would be foolish to rule out Aston Villa for challenging for a European place. They experienced the lows of an albeit very brief relegation fight, before master technician Emery took over after 11 games and saw them rocket up the league to finish 7th, above Tottenham, and return to European competition via the Europa conference league. Not only did they go from strength to strength last year, but they have shown real ambition so far in the market bringing in exciting players to help them push on, which has led many to give them a real chance of fighting for an even higher finish this year. But who is in better stead to ruffle the feathers of the traditional ‘big 6’ or was last season just a one off for the rest of the
premier leagues ‘big boys’
Both sides showed that they could perform consistently throughout large parts of the season, but there will be one major difference for both sides this year, and that is European football. It’s the goal that every team aims for but that’s not to say it doesn’t come with its downsides and in this case it’s up to 13 games could be potentially added to the football calendar for these sides. When you couple this in with the realistic prospect that we seem to be facing of games constantly reaching the 100 minute mark this season, a larger squad will be vital to compete on all fronts this season.
Aston Villa have so far let one prominent first team player leave in Ashley Young, who at 38 has taken on a new challenge at Everton, while they have so far only brought in two players, they may look to do more business before the window shuts. The players they have recruited though are of serious quality, both Diaby and Torres have been linked with top 6 clubs in recent times, and the fact that the Birmingham side have managed to persuade them to join is a testament to the project they are building. Watkins was a man reborn under Emery but considering their next top scorers in the league only managed 6 goals, Villa will be hoping the former Leverkusen winger will help add a much needed boost to their attacking prowess.
Newcastle themselves have had an eventful transfer market with 4 new first team players joining the side, Eddie Howe is preparing well for the upcoming European campaign by not only improving the depth of the side, but adding European pedigree in last years semi finalist Tonali. So while it looks like Newcastle have managed to complete most of, if not all of their business, Aston Villa may need to bring in a few extra bodies to keep up the pace over the season.
There is also one major factor that could play a part for both teams. Firstly for Newcastle they are now entering their 3rd season under Howe, which is the kind of stability that can only be beneficial to a project that has proven to be improving year after year. Emery himself will for the first time during his tenure be able to have a full pre-season with the squad, which is a scary thought considering how well they performed without one.
Many factors will play a part this year, and we know its a long season that is yet to start, but the potential battle between these two clubs is one of the most interesting aspects of the upcoming season even if the two clubs may not see themselves in direct competition. Fortunately for the rest of us, we won’t have to wait long for the teams to lay down their marker, as the two sides face off in the opening fixture. Newcastle will be seeking revenge after losing 3-0 in the last competitive meeting between the two sides, will that be the psychological edge to really make a statement to the rest of the league? Either way, i’ll be in my seat with a bucket of popcorn in anticipation.
