Perhaps the slowness of Aston Villa this summer is playing a part in the expectations among supporters. There can become something of a fear over the club missing out on an opportunity. Even if Unai Emery and Monchi do not add anyone else and end up seeing a player or two leave, this is a highly capable roster.
Some of the more pessimistic voices have expressed the potential of Villa being about to be in a relegation battle. This stance could not be further from reality.
Villa will be able to challenge for a spot in Europe once again. Around that area of the standings, the difference between being in a European competition and not can be a dense portion that sees little distinguishing between teams.
A lot can happen. Outright stating that Villa will definitely be in Europe would be entirely premature. They will be, however, at a minimum, in a position to qualify once again for Europe.
At the high end, the potential of Emery's men would be that of a top four finish. Particularly when revisiting the form of Villa toward the back half of the past season, it is easy to make the case that Villa will be able to challenge for one of the top positions in the Premier League.
Continuity is an asset for Aston Villa
Many believe that a major signing or addition is needed. In truth, the squad's ability to keep the corps intact is an advantage. When looking at how Villa figured out how to best play with each other in Emery's system, they impressed. Granted, Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford played a big role once they arrived in B6. Those two weren't present or a part of the starting XI each time, however.
There is plenty of quality at Villa, and the players are ready for another year together, ready to take a further stride in the EPL.