The Great Escape

I have a confession to make: when I saw Aston Villa triumph in last season's Championship play-offs; I told myself this team is simply too good to go down. I mean I have seen a lot of Championship champions go up one season then straight down the next; but this Aston Villa team was something else: they simply looked too good to go down. And I have been proven right; but only just lol...

I watched in mock horror as Villa looked a pale version of themselves all season. Imperious-looking in the Championship; they were looking pretenders in the Premiership. Gone was their ability to control the ball and dictate games; worse: an almost season-long catalogue of inexplicable defensive calamities seemed to torture the team: with imposing centre-back Tyrone Mings perhaps the epitome of their downfall.

But after the Corona break: something magical seemed to happen. Suddenly Villa were looking solid; and gone were their defensive deficiencies; they suddenly looked solid at the back again. And thus their vastly improved run after the break has taken them to safety; highlighted by a stunning 1-0 upset over FA Cup finalists Arsenal and the final 1-1 draw at West Ham to take them over the line; aptly supported by a goal from their star man Jack Grealish.