00:00The sort of remainder of the season, you know, we can sort of look back as we are in the
00:06midway point now and I mean, their season could go a number of ways if you look at it.
00:11They had a fantastic start to their Champions League life with this obviously new developed
00:16format and, you know, they were obviously top of the pile in the Champions League for
00:20a few weeks, which is quite incredible for them. How do you sort of look back at the
00:24start of their season so far and the best moments, maybe worst moments as well, a standout
00:31player maybe, and then sort of what they can go on to achieve as we look, you know, the
00:36remainder of this campaign?
00:39I think on the whole, the fans should be very happy with what they've seen this season
00:42because it's been a very bizarre Premier League campaign really. We've seen Manchester
00:46City, who've looked unbeatable over the last four seasons, crumble and fall out of the
00:50top four for a long period of time. Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur in the bottom half,
00:55Newcastle struggling and then having a mad revival. Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Bournemouth
01:00all heading up into potential Champions League contention. Forest being the main one of those,
01:05really challenging with Arsenal and Liverpool running away with things. Villa being in the
01:09top eight after such a run in mid-January and then having the potential still of finishing
01:14in the top five, which should be enough for Champions League football this year. You can't
01:18really be complaining with that, can you? And as you alluded to, Champions League success
01:22already on the cards. On the fringes of the top eight, which is what you need out of the
01:2636 clubs to qualify immediately for the last 16. If they finish between ninth and 24th,
01:33they'll have to play an extra playoff round, which wouldn't be ideal. Two extra matches,
01:37it'll be two legs. Villa are trying to avoid that. Two tough games to go against Monaco
01:42and then at home against Celtic, but four points from those matches should be enough
01:46to qualify for the last eight. And you'd have to say that would be a huge success,
01:50especially as they beat Bayern Munich earlier in the campaign. In terms of Emery,
01:54there's ambitions. Well, he wants to carry on in the Champions League with Villa,
01:57if possible. That's the main priority. Winning the Champions League is very unlikely. That's
02:02one way of achieving that. So the focus is still on the Premier League. Villa obviously want to
02:07progress as far as possible in the Champions League. And it'd be amazing to get to the
02:11quarterfinals, semifinals, but realistically, they're not going to win the competition.
02:15So the focus at the moment remains on the Premier League, which is understandable.
02:20Yeah, and just looking at the standout players up to this point,
02:23you know, they have a big summer clear out. They brought a few big names in as well.
02:27And who's been the standout player? Because obviously John Duran went on that fantastic run.
02:32Ollie Watkins maybe hasn't hit the heights that he did, but had that incredible summer with England
02:37with that moment as well. I think Uri Telemans is one that's kind of gone under the radar a bit.
02:42He's played so, so well in a variety of midfield roles. But Morgan Rodgers has really kicked on,
02:47just £15 million after add-ons from Middlesbrough. Looks well worth the money, of course,
02:52a full England international already. So versatile, so aggressive and attacks and
02:57such a key player for Unai Emery's Villa.
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