Patrick Rowe, Sky Sports: Inside Aston Villa’s 'insane' rise under Emery | OneFootball

Aston Villa’s season has been nothing short of extraordinary, explains Sky Sports' Patrick Rowe, as they sit third in the Premier League, four points off the top of the table.

Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Brentford (2pm kick-off), Villa’s remarkable campaign so far and the growing belief around the club are assessed, as well as what Keith Andrews’ side can expect from an Unai Emery team that shows little sign of easing off.

With injuries beginning to mount, Villa’s depth is being tested - but Emery’s ability to maximise the resources at his disposal has been key throughout his tenure.

Aston Villa are third in the Premier League table, with 46 points and 15 games to go. How would you summarise their season to date?

Nothing short of extraordinary, given the financial constraints the club are under.

The summer transfer window was an adjustment period after missing out on Champions League football but, to keep progressing in the manner they have, with arguably a weaker squad, given neither Marcus Rashford nor Marcos Asensio joined permanently, is insane. There is no other word for it.

Unai Emery continues to get the best out of these players and pushes them to new heights - just look at Victor Lindelöf! Injuries are playing their part now, but I expect Villa to keep rolling with the punches.

Emery suggested otherwise recently, but do you think the players and fans consider themselves in a title race of any sort as the final stretch approaches?

As soon as Arsenal started to falter, the dreams started to creep in. It will be a challenge to deal with injuries to John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans, but reinforcements in the form of Tammy Abraham and potentially others should help.

Emery is keeping his focus on the next game but, like Amadou Onana said, there is no point looking behind you, so keep looking forward.

The Premier League title is Arsenal’s to lose currently, but Emery’s demands from his players will never falter. So, why not?

What would it mean to lift major silverware this season, having come pretty close over the last few years?

That is the one fans really want. Villa are well placed in the Europa League to secure their first trophy since 1996, which would be the first in my lifetime.

Seeing Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Tottenham end their respective waits for a trophy hurt Villa fans. There have been FA Cup finals, Carabao Cup finals, a Europa Conference League semi-final and countless other opportunities across recent years, but the club have always fallen short.

There is an illustrious history plastered all over Villa Park, but it is about time a trophy was added to the cabinet.

Which player should Brentford be keeping an eye out for on Sunday?

The obvious one would be Morgan Rogers, but if Tammy Abraham is named in the matchday squad, he is one player to watch.

He scored 25 goals for the club while on loan in the Championship, which were key to the return to the Premier League.

He is loved by the fanbase already, and we all know that storyline could be written in the stars.

What should Keith Andrews’ men expect in terms of shape and style?

It will be business as usual from Emery, I think. It is a 4-4-2 with Morgan Rogers playing in a free role off Ollie Watkins.

There could be some curveballs in terms of team selection due to injuries, though. The absence of Tielemans, McGinn and Kamara will mean Onana and Lamara Bogarde will likely feature in midfield. Both are decent players, but neither possesses the passing ability of Tielemans or the defensive support of Kamara.

McGinn predominantly played on the right, so that has opened the door for Jadon Sancho. He scored his first goal for the club against Fenerbahce, and that could really kickstart his time here in the second half of the season. If he is up for it, he is dangerous.

What’s your score prediction?

Villa could look a bit tired after playing RB Salzburg in the Europa League on Thursday, so I will be boring and go for a 1-1 draw.