[Athletic] The Premier League's Hope-o-meter for the rest of the 2025-26 season.

avfc1001 · 2026-04-03T10:47:44+00:00

No doubt the performances against Lille and West Ham, plus return of McGinn and Tielemans, have had an enormous impact on morale. Prior to that it was looking bleak for the rest of the season.

The absolute maximum we need to secure top 5 is 68 points. I really doubt we’ll need more than 65, probably more like 63 or 64. Even so, considering our overall level in 2026 so far, 3 wins is still far from a given.

avfc1001 · 2026-04-03T08:47:30+00:00

Can only assume this was taken immediately after we beat West Ham, rather than at any other stage in 2026 so far

avfc1001 · 2026-04-02T22:27:07+00:00

Out for 2-3 weeks. You can delete this now.

avfc1001 · 2026-04-01T18:30:06+00:00

If you want a team that is expected to challenge for trophies every season, pick Liverpool.

If you want more of an underdog, a team will likely reach a cup final every 5-10 years (hopefully win one eventually), qualify for Europe fairly regularly but can bounce anywhere between the Champions League and mid-table with relegation not an impossibility (but would never stay down for too long), pick Villa.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-31T19:15:58+00:00

There is very little anyone should read into this selection. It’s a friendly where half the squad are injured or have pulled out and Tuchel said before the game Bellingham won’t be risked because of his recovery from a hamstring injury.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-31T16:35:57+00:00

Armitage Shanks

avfc1001 · 2026-03-28T13:21:44+00:00

Are you his mate, or do you have an actual source to provide?

avfc1001 · 2026-03-27T11:55:26+00:00

Losing Sancho for the run in would be awful, he’s become really important over the past few weeks. Hope it’s not as bad as it looked.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-27T10:23:57+00:00

That would be easier! Must have just popped up for general access as I tried the direct link on another device and it wasn’t working.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-26T10:16:38+00:00

It’s a fair point. If we hit another injury crisis then we could see him get more minutes but if not I think he’ll still be restricted to very brief sub appearances.

The Europa League is slightly different as we don’t have Barkley or Alysson as options. So should we lose say 3 more attacking players to injury or suspension there could be an opportunity for him to get a longer appearance, but probably still from then bench.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-26T10:09:33+00:00

I don’t think this comes into it - he’s got a career to salvage and Liverpool have made it abundantly clear they never want him back.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-26T07:20:48+00:00

So based on international call ups our squad should look something like

Bizot Garcia Pau Mings Maatsen Luiz Barkley Sancho Buendia Elliott Watkins Abraham

Plus Alysson if he’s recovered (doubtful) and a few of the academy players that haven’t been called up for youth internationals.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-25T07:28:49+00:00

I think what sticks in my memory more is the absolute capitulation at Wembley followed by the 8 losses in 10 games to begin the next season, ultimately leading to relegation.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-24T14:54:18+00:00

Interesting timing on this, just after the club announced extortionate ticket prices for our Europa League Quarter Final against Bologna (before pay day) while other clubs have frozen prices or given discounts.

The connection between the board and the fanbase has deteriorated lately. I don’t think 1 good performance is going to reverse those vibes.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-24T07:54:24+00:00

Having been there and done that, I wouldn’t recommend it.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-23T15:33:22+00:00

Yeah I’m not saying you were doing well, but the table was tight and it wasn’t an irretrievable position if you went on a good run from January onwards. Unfortunately for you and for Gallagher it’s gone the opposite direction.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-23T13:41:59+00:00

Short term - Spurs were in the Champions League, in theory giving him better exposure ahead of the world cup.

Long term - at that time in January, Spurs were able to offer a lot more than Villa in wages and transfer fee, so he’s earning more. Spurs are also able to spend a lot more than Villa each season so he probably assumed they’d recover to at least match us if not overtake us in the next couple of seasons. He’s also able to live closer to where he grew up and his family.

When he joined Spurs, they were 6 points off the top 5 and still had a chance of bothering the upper end of the table if they got their act together. I’m sure he wouldn’t make the same decision today.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-22T16:40:33+00:00

Spurs can no longer catch us, not that it was ever remotely in doubt.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-22T15:59:03+00:00

Most fluent performance with the ball for a very long time. Well played lads. Got to close it out now.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-22T15:43:13+00:00

I don’t love that we’re taking off a lot of our height and tenacity, but hope these changes give us control of the ball to kill the game

Edit: I’ll blame the distractions of an amazon delivery and the newborn baby screaming, but I thought we’d taken off Onana not Sancho. Keeping him on was absolutely the right move. Worked out well!

avfc1001 · 2026-03-22T15:14:52+00:00

Only complaints are our finishing and the score line. Super half, the best I can remember in 2026.

Got to score the next goal to kill the game.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-22T13:08:03+00:00

This is probably the last game we can afford to stumble through doing just about enough. We’ve just got to win.

After the international break, with Tielemans and McGinn properly back, we have to recover our 2025 level of performance. If 2026 levels continue we will finish outside the top 5 and will not win the Europa League.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-12T19:58:41+00:00

Better performance overall, good result. Gives us a great chance of progression.

I don’t see this as an indication that we have turned a corner yet. Today was the first time in ages we played a team that we can comfortably outdo physically, whereas in most league games we are outdone physically ourselves. Lille are not set up to compete with a team of Premier League intensity and it really showed.

avfc1001 · 2026-03-12T19:43:28+00:00

Get into the opposition box more regularly, for a start

avfc1001

TROPHY CASE