Paul Merson reckons Aston Villa could rein in teams who currently enjoy a ten-point lead over his former club. Merson says a good start and building momentum could soon see Villa eat into their deficit on clubs like Southampton, Everton and even Newcastle who seem safe in midtable. Indeed Merson reckons Steve Bruce’s men will be hardest hit by playing games behind closed doors – and that it will be easier for those doing the chasing than those being chased.
Paul Merson said “Whoever hits the ground running when the season restarts is going to have a massive advantage, There will be so many games coming thick and fast that your whole situation could flip in a week. I think there’s more than six teams involved in the relegation battle now. I think anyone with less than 40 points is still at risk. That means teams like Newcastle, Southampton, Everton, Crystal Palace and Burnley can’t relax. One or two wins and most of them should be okay. But lose your first two games back and it could be very hard to recover. The pressure will be on.”
