ADVERSITY TO TEST VILLA’S TITLE HOPES

ONE of the questions being asked at the moment is: Are Aston Villa realistic title contenders?

Well, one thing is certain – they are playing as well as anyone else in the Premier League.

The performances against Manchester City and Arsenal have been fantastic, ones we haven’t seen from a Villa side for years.

They are where they are, competing among the top four, on merit. It’s unknown territory, so it’s hard to give a definitive answer on whether they can last the distance.

What I do know is that the depth of their squad will be tested in the coming weeks.

Will a few injuries knock them off course?

Look at what injuries have done, for example, to Newcastle. Can Villa stay up there? Yes, potentially we know they can, but it will be tough.

You know what it’s like in the Premier League.

A team can look absolutely brilliant for five or six games and all of a sudden the wheels fall off. Newcastle are redolent of the ups and downs of the toughest league in the world. They had an indifferent start to the season, then looked like they were getting things right – only to fall away with two adverse away results at Everton and Tottenham. People then start questioning you. That’s the law of the football jungle. You’ve got to try to rise above it and that’s the test for Villa and boss Unai Emery (left). When adversity strikes, hit back. It’s why you have to admire the consistency of the top teams over the years – such as Manchester City, Liverpool and, in their day under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United. Sustaining success is quite a phenomenal achievement. You see that in tennis and golf with legends such as Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. Being at the top for all those years is an amazing achievement.