"Aston Villa, third in the Premier League, chasing Champions League qualification and the Europa League title, will be expected to beat Leeds on home soil. But Unai Emery's side have struggled of late in games where the pressure is on and the onus is upon them to be the aggressor. After exiting the FA Cup to Newcastle, Marco Bizot's moment of madness all but ending their hopes of reaching the fifth round, it is back to league duty."
"Many supporters are unhappy with Fabian Hurzeler's in-game management and selections, but how strong a squad does he command? Was the money received for Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro actually spent well by a club widely admired for its recruitment? Carlos Baleba is the 100m-rated heir apparent to Caicedo but incapable of seeing out 90 minutes, and around 90m was spent on a callow bunch last summer."
Aston Villa sit third in the Premier League while pursuing Champions League qualification and the Europa League, yet recent matches reveal difficulty handling pressure and asserting themselves. The team exited the FA Cup after Marco Bizot's costly error and have produced mixed league form, including an ugly win over Brighton and home defeats to Brentford and Everton; Bizot has apologised. Brighton face scrutiny as Brentford outperform expectations under different ownership influence. Supporters question Fabian Hurzeler's in-game management and whether transfer income for key sales has been spent wisely. Carlos Baleba shows potential but lacks full-match fitness, and Brighton's top-flight wins are scarce since early January, leaving the head coach in need of quicker, decisive contributions from his players.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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