Aston Villa can move into the Championship’s top-six if they beat Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills has warned Aston Villa’s promotion rivals to ‘keep an eye’ on them because they could be a threat to the top-six.
On Wednesday night, Villa recorded their third win on the bounce when they beat Martin O’Neill’s Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
As a result of those valuable points, they moved within two points of sixth-placed Derby in the Championship table and are well and truly back on track for promotion.
Speaking to the Match Centre on Sky Sports News (14/03/2019 at 10:25 am), former Leeds defender, Mills explained why Villa are now a threat in the race for the top-six.
“I think you have to keep an eye on Aston Villa,” Mills told Sky Sports News. “With the experience that they have got in and amoungst their coaching ranks as well, having been their last season, they could be a threat.
“Only two points off it. I think maybe one will drop it, could be Derby. Middlesbrough, don’t score too many goals.”
It has been an indifferent campaign for Villa, with the Midlands outfit coming into the new season after losing the play-off final, nearly entering administration and then getting saved by new investors.
Steve Bruce was kept on at the club, but after a number of bad results, he was sacked by the club’s new owners in October with Dean Smith taking the reigns.
The boyhood Villa fan showcased his forward-thinking tactics, but injuries, suspensions and a lack of depth derailed the squad.
Two wins from the end of December to the end of February resulted in them falling well outside of the play-off picture, but following the return of Jack Grealish, the club’s promotion march is once again back on.
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