Can Villa catch third-placed Blades and negotiate the playoffs?

Norwich, , Sheffield United, Aston … Fallen founders of the are very well represented in the upper echelons of the Championship right now, but the current form table puts a sharp focus on the latter club. 's men have their eye on that all-important playoff spot, charging to an eighth successive win to send a message to their promotion-chasing competition.

Though it may not always pay dividends, their pragmatism is
justified. The present-day crop of Villans know that the parachute payments,
received by the club since its Premier League relegation in May 2016, will stop
in 2019/20.

With a failure to gain promotion in that three-season window
comes extra difficulties in the transfer market, and the all-or-nothing
approach the club now need is reflected within several positive trends, which
have emerged in Villa's results of late.

Time of Reckoning
Close at Hand

Following their 2-1 home win against on Saturday, Villa have now won eight
Championship games on the spin.

All but one has seen Villa score multiple goals, and come from
behind to win on no less than three occasions within this winning run. The
Villans' home form has been a vital asset of late too, with the start of spring
at our doorstep, Villa have produced massive wins over potential playoff rivals
Derby (4-0) and (3-0).

Early goals have also been a regular fixture at Villa Park,
showing in no uncertain terms that the fallen giants are eager to put visitors
to the sword – even if such an approach occasionally backfires.

The slightly reckless attitude championed by coach Smith has
ensured that ten of the last eleven fixtures at Villa Park have seen a goal
before half-time, and prior to the Bristol City game, no other Championship
ground had witnessed more league goals.

Perhaps more importantly, positive patterns can also be observed
in Villa's away form. Most notably, the Villans' 2-1 win at on April
10th broke new ground, marking the club's first run of four
successive Championship away wins in its current second-tier stay.

The three wins that preceded the Rotherham victory also saw
Villa score inside the final half-hour of play, while the win at Rotherham
itself saw Villa come from behind to win for the third time in four away
victories.

Fourth-place
possible, but out of Villa's hands

Given that Sheffield United take a ten-point lead over Villa
into the final four games, it will take a catastrophic turn of form from the
Bramall Lane outfit to give Villa any hope of finishing third.

Indeed, current spread betting outrights for the Championship shows
that Sheffield United are still considered to have an outside chance of nicking
the title. The prices also heavily imply that the Blades are strong and assured
enough to look up rather than down.

Ultimately, Villa's focus should be on securing at least a
fourth-place finish, and the assurance of home advantage in the second leg of
the playoffs.

After 42 games, fourth place is occupied by none other than
Villa's midland rivals West Brom, who can net abundantly, but may yet find
themselves struggling at times after a recent managerial turnover.

Aston Villa's strong form can only get them so
far, but wins should be forthcoming in the short-term, starting with a Good
Friday trip to crisis-ridden Bolton and a home banker against on
Easter Monday. 

Condemned to Elland
Road

A home match against Norwich on the last day might also be a
good opportunity to score more vital points, with current momentum implying
that a relaxed Norwich will have sealed the Championship trophy by that
time.

However, it is a trip to Elland Road, to face Leeds on April 28th,
that might be the last glimmer of hope of getting a home advantage in the
second leg of the playoffs. Villa's intentions might be turned to thwarting
Leeds United's top-two finish and dragging them into an erratic playoff spot.

Leeds ended the weekend of April 13/14 having won six of their
previous eight Championship matches. Furthermore, the Whites' Saturday evening
victory ensured they were on the right track to automatic promotion, boasting
1.64 goals per match this season.

Optimism
is on The Horizon  

Just like Villa, West Brom will be looking at three wins out of
four as a minimum, with the Baggies entertaining an unpredictable Hull, and
then a Rotherham side that could not buy an away win until very recently.
Again, barring a miracle, Villa look to travel for the second leg of the
playoff semis.

Recent history favours most teams who have enjoyed home
advantage in the second leg of a playoff semi-final. Obviously, the most
topical example would be Villa's own defeat to a 3rd-placed at Wembley in last season's playoff
final, but recent results would at least grant the Villans' a psychological
edge over potential playoff rivals.

Bristol City, Derby and Middlesbrough have all fallen to the
wrath of the Villans this calendar year, and a magical ten-minute comeback
(from 3-0 down) against Sheffield United at Villa Park in February proves that
no team is invincible at this level, with or without home advantage.

Indeed, Villa's tendency to start strong in matches, and
overwhelm Villa Park visitors, means that playing the first leg at home could
yet be more friend than foe when the time of reckoning arrives.

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