Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville have both ruled out Aston Villa as genuine Premier League title contenders, despite their remarkable run of 10 consecutive league victories. The former Manchester United teammates, speaking after Villa’s 2-1 win over United at Villa Park on Sunday, argued that Unai Emery’s side lack the quality to overtake Arsenal and Manchester City.
Gary Neville, a pundit on Sky Sports, stated: “I’m drawing a line beneath the top two. Aston Villa are there and should be respected but they’re not going to win the league. I would be amazed if that happened. A lot would have to go wrong for Arsenal and Man City.” His assessment was echoed by Wayne Rooney later that evening on Match of the Day, who said: “No. I don’t think they are – and that’s not me being disrespectful. They’re just not as good as Arsenal and Man City. To win the title, it takes a lot and I just don’t feel they’re going to be in the title race.”
Aston Villa sit third in the table, three points behind leaders Arsenal and one behind second-placed Manchester City, after a run that included a win over Manchester United with both goals from in-form Morgan Rogers. However, underlying statistics suggest their position may be unsustainable: they have kept only one clean sheet in their last eight matches across all competitions, and rank 15th in the Premier League for expected goals (xG), indicating they are overperforming relative to the chances they create and concede.
Manager Unai Emery himself has downplayed title talk, saying after the United game: “We are not contenders. We are here because we are competing fantastic... but we are not contenders to be there.” Meanwhile, goalscorer Morgan Rogers deflected attention, telling Sky Sports: “You make those conversations, not us. We're firmly focused on the task at hand.”
Aston Villa now face a crucial test of their credentials with upcoming away fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal. Their recent home form has been formidable—unbeaten in 2025—but their performances on the road have been less convincing, having fallen behind in each of their last five away league games, though they have rallied to win three of them.
