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On The Ball
Understated Aston Villa are surprise but credible EPL title contenders
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Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans celebrates scoring their second goal against Basel in the Europa League on Dec 11.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Aston Villa, located in Birmingham, are credible contenders for the Premier League title, despite recent financial concerns and early season losses.
- Under coach Unai Emery, they have transformed with key players like Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins forming a cohesive and competitive unit.
- Villa's improvement includes strong league performance and success in the Europa League, aided by Emery's tactical expertise and squad management.
AI generated
As England’s second city, Birmingham has an undeserved reputation as an unlovable industrial metropolis. It may not possess the architectural glory of London or the assuredness of, say, Liverpool and Manchester, but it is a friendly, working-class city with historical and cultural depths. Not least in the football business.
Villa Park retains some of the grandeur of football’s first golden age, the early 20th century, and houses Aston Villa, former European champions and seven-time English champions.
