May 12th 2024.
Unai Emery has a big task ahead of him as he leads Aston Villa to the final stretch of the season. After faltering in their quest to win the Europa Conference League, they now have a golden opportunity to secure a spot in the prestigious Champions League. A victory against Liverpool in their last Monday Night Football match will guarantee them a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, securing their place in the top club tournament in Europe.
However, recent defeats to Olympiakos in the Conference League semi-finals have shown that Villa still have some work to do before they can truly consider themselves among the best. Their form has also been less than ideal, with a loss to Brighton sandwiched between the defeats to the Greek giants. Additionally, playing at home in front of the Holte End is not the advantage it once was, as they have only managed to win three out of their last eight top-flight games at Villa Park.
To make things even more nerve-wracking, Tottenham can still snatch fourth place from Villa's grasp. A final day trip to Crystal Palace may not be as easy as it seemed before the Eagles pulled off impressive wins against Manchester United and Wolves. While Villa may ultimately secure their spot, it may be thanks to Tottenham's potential loss to Manchester City on Tuesday. However, that is far from a guarantee as Tottenham has a strong record against the defending champions, especially at their home ground.
Meanwhile, Liverpool is also coming off a disappointing end to their season as they fell out of the title race in the final stretch. This will be Jurgen Klopp's last away game as their manager, adding even more weight to the match. While it promises to be an entertaining affair, a draw may be the most likely outcome. Ollie Watkins is a good bet to score at any time for Villa, while Liverpool's Louis Diaz is also a strong candidate to find the back of the net.
In other news, Naomi Osaka is favored to beat Qinwen Zhang in the women's singles at the Rome tournament. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Felix Auger-Aliassime are also looking to advance in Rome, with favorable odds for their matches against Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur, respectively. And in the world of football, Alan Shearer believes Chelsea must sign a "big name" to support Nicolas Jackson, while a Brazil legend has criticized Casemiro's decision to sign for Manchester United.
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