Aston Villa title challenge talk 'absolutely realistic' - Brad Friedel
An Aston Villa title challenge is realistic with the whole team doing "incredibly well", says former goalkeeper Brad Friedel.
Unai Emery's side beat Arsenal 1-0 on Saturday and now sit third in the league, just two points off Liverpool at the top.
The victory also continued the team's run of 15 home league wins in a row and, speaking to 5 Live Breakfast, Friedel thinks it is "absolutely" fine to talk about a title challenge.
"They've got one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Pau Torres is so calm on the ball, a great passer of the ball and so influential at the back. Tielemans has hit a run of form. Watkins has been sensational. Bailey and Digne have come in and done really well as well," he added.
"You could go through the whole team right now and say everyone is doing incredibly well.
"I sat down with Emi Martinez at the start of the season and he used the words 'tactical genius' for Unai Emery. A couple of things crossed my mind when he said that and he has been successful everywhere - except for possibly Arsenal, where you wonder what really went on. Could they have held on to him for possibly a little bit longer?
"But the way he sets up his teams and you look at the week they have had - they've beaten Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City recently – that's not a shabby run of fixtures and results."
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