Aston Villa’s next five Premier League games are compared to……

Villa return to action at home against West Ham. David Moyes’ future as West Ham boss looked under threat at point last term but, after lifting the UEFA Conference League trophy, he has started to turn the ship around. Sitting just two points behind Villa, the Hammers are well equipped for a return to the European spots.Luton have started to find their feet a little bit in the top division. A draw against Wolves and a victory at Everton demonstrated that they do not want to simply sit down and roll over for opponents. However, losing a match at home to relegation rivals Burnley before another home loss against ten-man Tottenham illustrated that they still have a long way to go.

Forest are a notoriously difficult challenge on their home turf. Steve Cooper has made his team difficult to beat and they often look well set up to deal damage on the counter attack. They only lost one match in the last four, 2-0 against Manchester City at the Etihad, but the other three results ended in draws.

With three wins, two draws and three defeats, Fulham have had a relatively calm start to the campaign. In their last four, they got victories at home to Sheffield United and Luton Town with a share of the spoils away to Crystal Palace. A defeat to a Chelsea team that look to be turning the corner under Mauricio Pochettino is certainly not embarrassing.

Spurs have defied those who questioned their ability to succeed without Harry Kane. Ange Postecoglou has hit the ground running and currently has the North Londoners sitting at the top of the table. Getting four points out of six against Liverpool and Arsenal is a clear indicator that Tottenham are not going to wilt without a fight.