This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Aston Villa will be looking to continue their upturn in form this weekend, but it will be no easy test.
They face a trip to the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday, having recorded back-to-back league victories for the first time this season.
Last time out, they needed late heroics from Matt Targett as the summer signing bagged the winner in the 94th minute after being slotted in by captain Jack Grealish with a deft through ball.
Either way, the pressure will be off going into this fixture as Pep Guardiola’s side have considerable ground to make up on league leaders Liverpool – six points to be exact – while Villa themselves will be happy to consolidate their position in the top-flight.
There has been a lot of talk going into January that Dean Smith will be handed a £20m kitty to spend on a striker, but the real January boost could well be the availability of Marvelous Nakamba after his latest revelations.
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His national side Zimbabwe have already qualified for the 2020 Africa Nations Championship, which is due to take part over January and February in Cameroon, which would typically mean Villa would have to endure the 25-year-old’s absence – if it were the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, this less prestigious competition only allows its respective countries to call up players from their respective domestic leagues, meaning Nakamba will remain in the west Midlands over those two months.
This is a massive boost to Villa’s survival hopes as the former Club Brugge midfielder has been an influential figure in the heart of the pitch.
Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…
Per WhoScored, no other member of Smith’s squad has recorded more tackles (3.6) per match than he has while he has registered more interceptions than any other midfielder with 1.4 per game.
He could well be the difference between Villa staying up or them returning to the second-tier at the first opportunity.
