da gbg bet： What a few weeks it’s been for Aston Villa! Four wins in four took them from eleventh to the play-off spots on Saturday, but the international break is coming just at the wrong time.
da bwin： Dean Smith would surely have his team playing every three days until the end of the season if he could, considering the blistering form they’re in. Jack Grealish returned in the first of those four games, during their 4-0 win against Derby County, and they haven’t looked back since.
Still, they could have peaked too early.
There are eight games left of the season, but first, there’s the international break which can either be a blessing or a curse. For Villa, it’s most certainly a curse because, despite the players being able to rest more, it could disrupt their rhythm and cause them to fall back from the pack.
The Villa faithful will be confident they can continue to tear up the division and march towards the Premier League return the club needs. But not enough focus is placed on the mentality of a play-off spot battle. Maintaining momentum and focus is just as, if not more, important than rest.
Considering how long it took for Smith to build up any kind of momentum at Villa Park, having a break now during his best run in charge really is a nightmare.
Their next fixtures are at home against Blackburn and then away at Sheffield Wednesday, so they’re games Villa will have thought they coud win, despite the Blades’ success. They’re also games they need to win to keep themselves in the play-offs, because one slip in these games and the great pre-break form will seem a mile away.
The fans have seen what this team are capable of and their expectations are now even higher than they were at the start of the season. The Villans could do without the time to overthink what promotion would mean for the club, but it’s unavoidable.
It could well be their stumbling block.
Villa fans, Do you think the international break will be an advantage or hindrance to your club’s play-off hopes? Join the discussion by commenting below…