What can we expect from the next 5 games?

As we approach the end of September on a six game unbeaten run in the Championship, with back to back wins live on Sky Sports in the bag, and our the biggest away win since 2015 fresh in the mind, we are going to give you the low-down on what you can expect from the Claret and Blues in the next month or so.

15 Points to Play For

There are 15 points to play for in the next five games, and we are predicting a very good run for the Villans. Looking at the fixture list, it is likely that we can continue our winning run by taking an away win at Burton on Tuesday night, and we will be expected to follow it up with another three points when bottom-of-the-table Bolton travel to Villa Park on Saturday. We are then predicting an away draw against high-flying Wolverhampton Wanderers, and victories over struggling Fulham and the woeful Birmingham City. Of course, our points projection is based on us taking confidence from our fantastic unbeaten run, and getting Kodjia and Jedinak back to full fitness. However, there is a strong chance that things could go very, very wrong in October… and here’s why.

International Break

Every English football fan dreads the International breaks. They always seem to arrive as your team begins gathering momentum, and this is a break that could ruin Villa’s season.

• Jonathan Kodjia is expected to be returning to full match sharpness within three weeks. In three weeks, however, he is going to depart Bodymoor Heath to link up with the Ivory Coast International squad. This is very poor timing for Villa, because the significant air miles are going to be severely damaging his recovery as we enter a tough run of games.
• Our winning momentum will also be hindered by the break, as players start leaving the club to meet up with other players, coaches and managers. If they have poor games while on International duty, it could be a very disappointing month for Villa.

Potential Form

If our projection is correct, we could be looking at a very strong run of form.

This would be one of the strongest runs of form out of all the leagues in the country. The question remains, however, about where taking 13/15 points could leave us in the table. To try and work this out, I have compiled a point projection for 1^st placed Leeds United, and 6^th placed Ipswich Town.

Where Will This Take Us?

Leeds United, who are looking unstoppable this season, are predicted to also take 13 points from their next five games- they play Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Bristol City and Sheffield United. Ipswich Town, who are propping up the promotion places, are predicted to take 10 points from their next five games- they play Sunderland, Bristol City, Sheffield United, Norwich and Burton.If our projection is correct, Leeds United will remain top of the league with 33 points. Ipswich Town will have 25 points- and Villa will have 26 points. So, we have concluded that if we can go on a very strong run next month, we can put ourselves right into the play-off mix for the first time since we were relegated last year. And of course, this leads to some very interesting questions- especially with regards to Steve Bruce. His job is to get us promoted to the Premier League, and if we are in the top 6 by November then he is certainly doing what he is being paid for. And, with a bit of momentum… who knows how far we can go?