City's last chance and Aston Villa's dilemma

As the Premier League takes a break, clubs like Man City, Brighton, Fulham, and Aston Villa strategize for a strong finish, trophies & European spots

Manchester City must plug the gaps in their squad to finish as a cup winner without losing their place in the Champions League. (Photo credit: GOAL)

The international break is a huge opportunity for managers in the Premier League to revisit their tactics board and prepare the players left behind for the home stretch of the league season. In a sequel post, what do these teams need to finish in a respectable position at the end of May?

Manchester City must win the FA Cup.

It is no doubt the most underwhelming season of the Pep Guardiola dynasty; however, there’s something there to salvage in the FA Cup. They’re the only big side left in the tournament; they cannot afford to slip up.

Fifth spot is likely to be enough to clinch Champions League football this season; the champions can sneak into the top four and guarantee a return to Europe’s elite competition. However, they must find ways to close out games; the fear factor is gone; they must look for it wherever it’s hiding.

Brighton can finish in Champions League places.

The Seagulls are not far away as things stand; only two points separate Fabian Hurzelar’s side from fourth spot. It will be unprecedented, but it is not impossible for Brighton to celebrate UCL football at the end of the season.

Injuries haven’t been kind to Brighton, but they have managed to work things out; especially after that horrendous showing against Nottingham Forest, they have won almost all their games since then and battled back to hold the champions to a 2-2 draw at the weekend. Can they sustain the momentum?

Can you write off Fulham?

Marco Silva and the Lilywhites are quietly doing their thing, and they seem to be under the radar, but anyone would tell you that anything is possible at this stage of the season; Fulham can return to Europe for the first time in decades.

Fulham sits in 8th, only four points off the top four, and with a run-in that you can call a fair one, Fulham can pull off a huge surprise. They need to keep their main men fit, the likes of Antonee Robinson, Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez; keep an eye on the Lilywhites.

Unai Emery’s Villa must prioritise

What does Aston Villa want? Do they want to focus on the Champions League, where they’re in the quarter-finals, or fight for the chance to return to the elite competition via the league?

The Champions League is at a point where anything can indeed happen; they face Unai Emery’s former side, PSG, in the last eight. It is a daunting task but not impossible. Can they go all the way in the Champions League? Will they keep things moving in the league to usurp teams and land in 4th?