Premier League predictions: Ex-Aston Villa pair laud ace that's 'fulfiling potential' as they share West Ham verdict
Aston Villa are on their best winning streak as a top-flight club since 1915 after a remarkable eight wins in a row
Former Aston Villa and Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson believes Emiliano Buendia can stake a claim to make it into Argentina’s World Cup squad if he continues his current run of form.
Merson, who represented the Three Lions on 21 occasions during his playing days, believes Buendia is now fulfilling the potential he first showed at Norwich City after arriving for a then club-record transfer fee of £33m, rising to £38m with potential bonuses.
Prior to joining Aston Villa, Buendia had won the Championship title with the Canaries while also being named as the division’s Player of the Season in the process. He scored 15 league goals in his final campaign at Carrow Road while adding a further 16 assists. However, he’s not always been able to nail down a regular place in the Villa squad in recent seasons, particularly after his ACL injury in the summer of 2023 which ruled him out for the following campaign.
He spent the last six months of last season at Bayer Leverkusen and was expected to move on a permanent basis in the summer amid speculation linking him with a reported £17m switch to Leeds United with former boss Daniel Farke. But Unai Emery’s decision to keep Buendia and reintegrate him into the starting squad has so far proven a masterstroke.
Paul Merson tips Emiliano Buendia to push for Argentina’s World Cup squad
While sharing his predictions with Sportskeeda, Merson, who starred for Aston Villa between 1998 and 2002, praised Emery for his ability to make players like Buendia better.
He explained: “Emiliano Buendia is now fulfilling the potential he first showed at Norwich City. It was a tough start for him at Villa, but he has gotten better and better. If he keeps playing like this, he won't be far from the plane that takes the Argentina squad to the 2026 World Cup. All the other teams should be worried if Buendia fails to make the Argentina squad after keeping up his form because that would mean the reigning world champions have such an unbelievable squad.”
Merson also commented on Aston Villa’s incredible eight-match winning run across all competitions and added that he believes it will continue this weekend in the capital against West Ham United. “Villa have won nine of their last 10 matches in all competitions, it's a dream run for the team and I expect it to continue.” Merson’s prediction: West Ham United 1-3 Aston Villa
Chris Sutton names Aston Villa star that has turned a corner
Former Blackburn Rovers talisman Chris Sutton, who also played for Aston Villa towards the end of his career, has described Emery’s team as ‘amazing’ and believes Ollie Watkins is now starting to turn a corner in terms of his goalscoring form.
Watkins was dropped from the most recent England squad after an inconsistent start to the campaign which saw him score just once in his first 13 league matches, but a recent brace against Brighton in a 4-3 win earlier this month suggest he may have rediscovered his finishing touch.
Commenting on Aston Villa, Sutton told BBC Sport: “Unai Emery's side just keep on going and keep on winning too, and they always seem to find a way to get over the line. They have won seven games in a row now in all competitions, and I think they are amazing.I am not going to back against them this time, that's for sure. They have got a brush with Basel on Thursday but playing in the Europa League has not affected them too much recently.
“West Ham have turned a corner under Nuno Espirito Santo, but so has Villa striker Ollie Watkins. Watkins is starting to look more like his old self, and he could make the difference here to continue Villa's winning run.”
Sutton went on to warn his former club about the threat of dealing with Jarrod Bowen while echoing Merson’s praise for Buendia.
“Jarrod Bowen will ensure they don't have an easy game, but Villa have got enough goals right through their team to take the points even if Watkins doesn't score on Sunday,” added Sutton.
“I was absolutely delighted to see Emi Buendia get the winner against Arsenal. He has had a lot of injuries to contend with at Villa but I saw a lot of him at Norwich and he is a terrific player.” Sutton's prediction: West Ham 1-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa enter the weekend in third position, but could climb to joint top if results go their way this weekend ahead of a challenging run of fixtures in the festive period.