Aston Villa legend makes bold prediction on club's title ambitions

Aston Villa made it nine victories in a row in all competitions on Sunday, as they kept the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. 

Unai Emery's side had to twice come from behind at the London Stadium, but managed to see off West Ham thanks to a brace from Morgan Rogers as well as a Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal. 

The result leaves Villa in third place, three points behind the leaders and one off Manchester City just in front of them, and keeps up the talk that the club could actually mount a title challenge this year. 

One man who believes his old club could sustain a challenge is former forward Dean Saunders, who, speaking exclusively to DAZN News, thanks to Metaspins sport, stated that the key for Emery's side could be star striker Ollie Watkins. 

"Ollie Watkins needs to get on a run," Saunders said. 

"He's got the goals now, he's got back and he now needs to go on a streak. Because he's like that, he gets eight in eight, then he doesn't score for a patch, but he carries on working hard.

"But if he gets going, if Ollie Watkins gets 25 goals this season, Villa have got a chance of winning the league." 

It was a slow start by Villa to the season, who didn't win any of their first five games, while Watkins has also taken his time to find his best form, but now has three goals to his name and was unlucky to have not been credited with the opener against the Hammers. 
 

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Saunders, though is full of praise for how the manager has turned the club's fortunes around this season and believes if they can continue to hang with the chasing pack, then they'll have a chance this season. 

Adding, "They've got some favourable fixtures coming up that I think they can win.

"But the manager's done a brilliant job. He's a good manager. He had a problem at the start of the season. He fixed it.

"Now, they're on fire. So, who knows? They've just got to keep… It's like the Grand National, isn't it? When your horse is just sat in fourth place, third, fourth place.

"And as long as he stays there, he's got a chance at the end."

Villa are back in action this weekend when they host Manchester United at Villa Park in Sunday's teatime fixture. 

 

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