Villa need to grab chance to climb table ahead of Cherries test

ASIDE from its top and tail, the Premier League table has yet to really take shape.

- By JOHN TOWNLEY

After the first 10 Premier League games of the season, Aston Villa sit just four points off second and as many points above 16th-placed Leeds United.

That's why next weekend’s home match against Bournemouth - who currently occupy fourth place - is an important one, even if it is still early in the campaign.

If the Premier League table isn’t going to take shape any time soon, then Villa must help define it. They missed a chance to make a statement last weekend against Liverpool.

The Reds had lost six of their previous seven games, while Villa had won six of their last seven in all competitions. Had Villa won at Anfield - and scoring the first goal would certainly have given them the platform to do so - they would have moved to within a point of second-placed Manchester City, who they defeated just over a fortnight ago.

Victories against Fulham and Burnley were crucial, before Villa backed those wins up after the October international break by beating Tottenham away and then City at home for the third successive season.

Villa's form over the last six weeks or so has been very strong, though some concerns remain from their poor start to the season.

Unai Emery’s side failed to score until their fifth game in all competitions, with Harvey Elliott netting the first in a Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat at Brentford.