Aston Villa sleepwalking into Leicester City-esque situation after Sunderland draw
Aston Villa could be in a much worse position than some are willing to believe.
Having not picked up a single win this season, Villa travelled to face Sunderland in the hope of changing the tide away from Villa Park.
They failed to do so, even with Reinildo being sent off for Sunderland after a bizarre kick out at eventual goalscorer Matty Cash.
Even with Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendia and Evann Guessand starting for Villa against Sunderland, there was no true attacking impetus on show.
The defensive showing also left a lot to be desired, begging the question: Could Aston Villa become the next Leicester City in the Premier League?
Aston Villa sleepwalking into true danger
It’s now five league games without a win and six in all competitions with just two goals scored.
Any which way you look at those numbers, they are grim.
Under the reign of Unai Emery, things have never been this bad, and I genuinely don’t see how or when it’s going to suddenly turn around.
| Position | Club | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 17. | Brentford | 5 | -4 | 4 |
| 18. | Aston Villa | 5 | -4 | 3 |
| 19. | West Ham | 5 | -8 | 3 |
| 20. | Wolves | 5 | -9 | 0 |
To suggest it harps back to the days of Paul Lambert is crazy, but to suggest things are worse than some want to believe is looking more true by the week.
Some may say that ‘Villa’s squad is too good to go down’, but that can prove to be a myth, something which Youri Tielemans and Leicester City know all too well.
Leicester City were relegated with some true star names and plenty of market value, proving just how close Villa could ultimately be to the brink if they don’t buck up their ideas.
Leicester City prove that relegation is possible for Aston Villa
There are quality players in this Villa squad like Watkins, Rogers, Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez, and the list goes on.
It looks to me as if some of these have grown complacent about the level they play at and are failing to put in the required effort.
This was seemingly the case for Leicester when they faced the drop back in 2023, ironically under the management of Villa hero Dean Smith.
There was a raft of quality available at the King Power, with the likes of James Maddison, Harvey Barnes, Tielemans and Timothy Castagne.
Top eight Leicester City players’ market value in 2022/23:
- James Maddison – £52m
- Harvey Barnes – £30m
- Youri Tielemans – £21m
- Timothy Castagne – £21m
- Wilfred Ndidi – £21m
- Tete – £21m
- Kiernan Dewsbury Hall – £21m
- Boubakary Soumare – £17m
- TOTAL – £204m
That didn’t stop them from finishing 18th in the Premier League, two points behind Everton in 17th and facing the drop to the Championship.
In 12 months time, Villa could be looking back at their squad and think the same sort of thoughts, that will be the case unless things turn around and fast.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247