The next five

The disappointment of losing the game against West Ham United last week was dispelled by the win versus Norwich City. Once again, it seems that we still believe we can get out of this fight. With thirteen games left in the Premier League and with eight points between the Villans and safety, is it possible, given the games Garde’s men have left, to beat the drop?

Below is a run down of the next five games and what we should expect from each one.

Liverpool 

Our next game is against Liverpool at home. Considering the Reds are missing lots of players and are in the midst of a very rough run at the moment, losing to West Ham United on Tuesday, I am almost certain that they will be coming out fighting against us.

To make things worst, the return of Christian Benteke will be the big headline before the match, even if he is not scoring the great goals he used to at Villa Park. Having said that, playing against his former club – one that is bottom of the league – will give him a good chance to score. I fear his return to Villa Park will be the big talking point, before and after the match.

In terms of the Villa boys, they were good enough to win against Norwich City and unfortunate to lose 2-0 against West Ham. If Garde can do the best he can with the squad then I see something positive coming out of this game. We are at home and with the return of Benteke, the crowd will want to make sure he realises which set of fans offer the best support.

I suspect that it will be a close encounter. Having seen that Courthino is back in the line-up, I can see them scoring goals. At best, I picture a draw.

Prediction: Draw

Stoke City

The Potters, like the Reds, are having a rough time. They have been knocked out of two cups in a matter of weeks and find themselves slowly slipping down the pecking order.

Even so, the quality that this team has can not be underestimated. The likes of Butland and Shaqiri are the Potters’ main men. They are both on good form, especially Butland as he pushes for a place in the England squad ahead of the European Championships.

The Britannia Stadium is the venue for this one and it will have to be a real dog fight to get anything from this game. Counter-attacking football would seem to be the only way for the Villans to play and, like the Liverpool game, the best outcome I can see is a draw.

Prediction: Draw

Everton

Everton have had a very interesting season. One minute they were on top form and the next they were letting in goals with alarming regularity.

The Toffees’ main threats are Lukaku and Barkley. Our defence will have to make sure they don’t let either of these two dominate as they did in the sides’ previous meeting.

At home, I feel the tide will be for us. Praying that the games before this have gone well, I see no reason why we can’t push for a win. The Toffees are not great at the back, even with the talent of John Stones. I envisage a win and expect no less than a draw. A loss would be vey disappointing.

Prediction: Win

Manchester City

It will soon be time to face the Citizens for the third time this season. It’s safe to say that we probably won’t get anything from this match. This squad is filled with good players who are aiming for Champions League football and will be vying to impress the incoming manager.

With many top talents in the side, we may need to focus on solid defending for this match and make sure it isn’t an embarrassment, especially with Pellegrini’s men having home advantage.

Prediction: Loss

Tottenham Hotspur

Title contenders, Spurs are on form in the top division.

This game is being played at Villa Park. Considering the gulf between the sides, it’s very difficult to see anything more than a draw for this game. If we were away, I would definitely predict a loss but home crowds can make a difference and I feel the fans at Villa Park will want to make sure they are supporting the club through the difficult times.

With the talent at Spurs in Kane, Alli, Lloris et al, I feel they will prove to be too good for us and this will be another home defeat.

Prediction: Loss

I still feel we are in with a chance of surviving. Every game offers Garde’s men the chance to narrow the gap, although some will argue that the time to do that has passed.