Chris Kirkland comments on Aston Villa’s playoff chances

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Aston Villa are in the running for the Championship playoffs this season.

Former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland suggested on the EFL Matters show on Sky Sports Football on Thursday evening (7pm, March 14, 2019) that Aston Villa need to six or seven of their remaining matches in order to finish in the top six of the Championship this season.

Villa are eighth in the Championship table at the moment with 54 points from 37 matches, just two points behind sixth-placed Derby County.

Dean Smith’s side have nine more matches left to play in the league this season, and Kirkland believes that the Villans have to win six or seven of them.

The former Liverpool goalkeeper has also highlighted the importance of Jack Grealish for Villa.

The 23-year-old, who can operate as a winger or as an attacking midfielder, has recently retuned from injury and is playing well for the Villans at the moment.

The youngster has made 24 appearances in the Championship for Villa so far this season, scoring four goals and providing four assists in the process, according to WhoScored.

Kirkland suggested on the EFL Matters show on Sky Sports Football on Thursday evening (7pm, March 14, 2019): “It is no coincidence that since Jack has come into the team, he has lifted the team because they were going through a bad patch.

“Listen, they are a huge football club, massive fanbase, deserve to be in the Premier League, but a lot of teams can say that. It’s going to be interesting, the last nine games.

“You would have thought they have to win at least six, seven of them to get into the playoffs, with the form of the other teams as well.”