Aston Villa's Next Five: The fight to Maintain Excellent Form Against a Tough Run of Fixtures

Aston Villa has had a satisfactory start to the Premier League campaign this season. The team is currently placed eleventh in the table, just eight points behind sixth-placed Liverpool, with a game in hand. As the competition heats up, the next five fixtures will be a crucial period for Aston Villa, and they will need to put in some strong performances to kick up their position to the top half of the table.

First up for Villa is a home match against Crystal Palace. The Eagles are not in the best of form, having lost one and drawn 4 of their last five games in the league. However, they have shown the ability to put in strong performances against top opposition this season, having drawn Manchester United and Liverpool. They will be looking to bounce back from their recent poor form and take points off Villa.

But Unai Emery's side has also been playing well, having won 2 of their last five games in the league, including a comfortable 2-0 victory over Everton in their last match. Villa's attack has been impressive this season, having hit the woodwork 13 times in 24 league games, which is one of the joint-best records in the league. And with the likes of Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey leading the attack, Villa has enough firepower to get the job done against Palace.

The following fixture sees Villa travel to London to take on West Ham. The Hammers are currently placed sixteenth in the table, eight points below Villa. They haven't been in excellent form this season and have proven to be a not-so-tough nut to crack for the top-league teams. They have already beaten Wolves, Fulham, and Everton this season, but Villa will be confident of getting back its 3 points from their last meeting in August 2022.

Villa has also been impressive away from home, having won four of their last 5 away games in the league this season. They have also been excellent against the top teams, having beaten Tottenham, Manchester United, and Brighton this season. This will be a tricky match for Villa, but they have the quality to get a result. A win would be a solid outcome for Villa in this fixture.

Villa's third fixture in this stretch is a home match against Bournemouth. The Cherries have been struggling for form this season and are currently in the relegation zone. They have won only two of their last 14 games in the league and have scored only 21 goals in 24 games, and are the second-worst club in the league currently as they sit at nineteenth place. Villa will be looking to take advantage of this and secure a comfortable victory.

But Unai Emery's side will need to guard against complacency, as Bournemouth has shown the ability to put in some impressive performances this season. They have already beaten Wolves, Leicester, and Everton this season, and will be looking to add another big scalp to their list. But if Villa can maintain their recent good form, they should be able to get the job done against Bournemouth.

The fourth fixture in this run of games sees Villa travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea. The Blues are currently in an unstable position in the table and have been playing some inconsistent football this season. They've been beaten twice in their last 5 games in the league, having drawn three of those games. This will be a tough match for Villa, but they have the quality to get a point for a result.

Villa's defense will need to be at its best to keep the likes of João Felix, Mykhailo Muudryk, and Hakim Ziyech at bay. But they will also need to be clinical in attack, as chances may be hard to come by against a Chelsea defense that has kept 8 clean sheets in 24 games this season although just two higher than Aston Villa. Expect Villa to put up a good fight but ultimately have a draw at best.

The final fixture in this run of games sees Villa journey to Leicester City. The Foxes are currently in fourteenth place in the table, seven points behind Aston Villa. They have been in far from excellent form this season, having won only 7 of their last 24 league games so far. They have also struggled away from home, having won three of their 12 away games this season.

This will be a tough match for Villa since they lost 4-2 to Leicester earlier in the season. The key to victory for Villa will be to nullify the threat of Kelechi Iheanacho, who is always a danger to opposing defenses. But with the likes of Bailey, Watkins, and Coutinho in attack, Villa has the quality to trouble the Leicester defense.

Overall, this is a tough run of fixtures for Villa, with matches against one of the top ten teams in the table. But the team has shown this season that they are capable of putting in some excellent performances against the top teams. With a strong defense, a creative midfield, and a potent attack, Villa has the quality to get results against any team in the league.

If they can maintain their recent good form, they should be able to pick up a minimum of seven points from these fixtures. A win against Bournemouth and draws against Palace and West Ham would be a solid return for Villa. If they can also pick up a point against either Chelsea or Leicester, that would be an excellent outcome for the team.