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After nine Premier League games, Aston Villa sit just three points off second place. Their position reflects both how well they’ve responded after a poor start to the campaign and the inconsistencies of other Premier League teams, considering Villa failed to win any of their first five league games. On Claret & Blue , Dan Rolinson and John Townley discussed Villa’s campaign so far and their points total after the first quarter of the season. You can watch the podcast here , or read part of its transcript below. “I would have taken this amount of points. But was it actually an OK start? No - we played poorly for the first five games. We didn’t score a goal and had barely a shot on target for a long stretch," Townley started. "Honestly, we really struggled to create chances during that period. Was it just one shot on target against 10-man Sunderland? It wasn’t good enough. “You do hear people say, 'Well, Brentford, mid-table; Sunderland, fourth' - but if we had beaten them, we’d be above them. But when you look at the table and points at the top, we’re actually better than I expected. I don’t see Sunderland as a real challenger right now - it’s too early for that. “In terms of points, we’ve moved past our poor start. But I also think there were reasons behind it. I mentioned this in my walk-and-talk: we didn’t play well in the first few weeks, but there were mitigating factors. New players were coming in, it was a strange summer, and everyone - management, players, fans - was frustrated. That frustration seeped into the start of the season. “Losing Ramsey, a popular figure in the dressing room and a player everyone enjoys being around, also had an impact. We struggled initially, and there was a sense of uncertainty: is this Villa a mid-table team, or are we capable of pushing for Europe? Recent weeks suggest the latter. “Winning four league games in a row, against Fulham and Burnley, and then facing Spurs away and City at home, shows this is a strong team. In a way, it’s better to be here now. This is the Villa we can realistically expect to see in the coming weeks and months. Improvement was inevitable from our early struggles.” Townley continued: “If you’re going to argue that those first five games define the season and suddenly label us a bad team, you can’t ignore what came before. We didn’t lose key players like Kamara, Watkins, Martinez, and Konsa and replace them with less experienced players, as some teams like Wolves, for example, might have. We’ve kept them, and there are various reasons why some - Watkins, Martinez, and to some extent Rogers - haven’t quite clicked into their best form yet. I’m excited to see what happens when they do because I feel we have more levels to reach. “The only doubt I have is whether we are a team that might not challenge for the top five. Right now, we’re only three points off second, so why would we limit what we could achieve this season? That said, looking at our previous four wins doesn’t automatically make us a Champions League contender either. We can’t extrapolate such a small data set over the whole season. “We started poorly for various reasons, but now, with some momentum, we’re getting results. Players are beginning to find their groove. My concern is avoiding streakiness. You can’t call Villa a poor team based on early losses, nor can you suddenly label us as Champions League contenders because of a few wins. Balance is key. “For example, if we lose three in a row, then win three in a row, that still points toward a mid-table outcome. Take Anfield: even if Liverpool has had a poor run, it’s still a fortress. Only Arsenal, Liverpool, and Villa have lost just two home games since last season. Beating them there would still be a shock in my opinion, even if they are in transition. “The main point is we want to avoid being streaky. We need to build consistent form, taking results where we can. Winning at home against Bournemouth or securing points against teams we’ll compete with in the coming weeks is more important than chasing every high-profile result. “Balance and steady progress are what matter. We won’t win every game, but ticking points away consistently is key. Come March or April, if we’re in the positions we want to be in, that’s fantastic - and I’d take it right now. All we can control is our own results and performances. Factoring in the Europa League, the rest of the season is uncertain, but based on the last three years and what we’ve seen recently, the odds are in our favor to be competitive. “One of the best compliments you can give this Villa team is that you don’t need to force extreme opinions about them - they’re reliably balanced. Over the course of a season, they’re consistent enough. Like last season, they might go through periods of poor form, but they’ll always put together a strong run somewhere. “For that reason, we can’t tie ourselves to extremes and say, “Oh, we should be competing for the Champions League,” or, early in the season, “We’re going to be in a relegation fight.” The evidence suggests that neither is true - and that was quickly disproven. “Looking at the bigger picture, how many teams are actually better than us? Certainly Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Man City, Chelsea, and Newcastle are strong contenders for top five. If Villa can finish above one or two of them, that would be a fantastic position. Then there are solid teams like Bournemouth, Brighton and Crystal Palace - teams that will challenge us over the course of the campaign. “Yes, the start was poor because we didn’t play well. But as expected, there has been an upturn in form. I didn’t expect us to win four games in a row, yet Villa under Emery can catch teams out. The key is not to underestimate them or write them off. Other Premier League teams might have thought Villa’s bubble had burst, but nine games in, we’re only three points off second.” Every day, the BirminghamLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Aston Villa content. Our dedicated reporter John Townley - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows Villa home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between. So much happens day to day and sometimes you can struggle to keep on top of the very latest updates as and when they occur - that's why we have produced a daily newsletter which you can sign up to, for free, and which means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Villa newsletter here . You can also get all your favourite content from BirminghamLive's Villa team on WhatsApp. Click here to sign up for breaking updates about the biggest stories in and around the club. If you prefer reading our Villa stories on your phone, consider downloading the BirminghamLive app, in which you can personalise the content you see by selecting Villa as one of your designated topics. You can get it from Apple here and for Android here . Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here , while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here .
