Gerrard’s optimism can’t hide Villa’s ignominious stats

Aston Villa have been in freefall of late and risk being dragged into the relegation zone unless they can arrest the slide, but Steven Gerrard doesn’t believe his side are fighting for survival.

Norwich City are 20th with 21 points from 33 games, Watford are 19th with 22 points from 33 games and Everton are 18th with 29 points from 32 games. The Villans are 15th with 37 points from 32 games, however, so they’re still a comfortable distance from the bottom three.

Gerrard still had to address questions about the prospect of Villa being relegated in Thursday’s pre-match press conference and said via BBC Sport): “I only look forward and I only look up.

“I’m sure the table will look completely different come the final whistle tomorrow, if we put in the performance which deserves that.” The 41-year-old is being optimistic, but is he also being flippant about the club’s poor form of late?

Villa were 16th in the Premier League when he replaced Dean Smith on November 11. Five months later, they’re only one place better off. The Midlands outfit have picked up just one point from their last five games and have managed just one victory at home in 2022.

It would take a monumental collapse from Villa to suffer relegation, but it can’t be ignored how poor they’ve been since the turn of the year. Four wins since mid-December 2021 isn’t good enough for a side looking to challenge for Europe next season.

In other news, here’s why Trezeguet might stay at Aston Villa this summer