Aston Villa captain John McGinn has warned Liverpool that his club is ‘going into every game’ believing it can win as the Premier League title battle heats up.
The Reds are sitting well at the top of the league with a game in hand and a three-point gap over Villa in third place, who are surprising contenders in the title battle this season following a solid first half of the campaign under Unai Emery.
Jurgen Klopp’s side is presently looking to win the league title for the second time since his arrival in 2015, but they will once again have to outwit Manchester City if they are to lift the Premier League trophy.
Despite Liverpool, City, and last year’s runners-up Arsenal being largely regarded as the three front-runners for the league title, Emery’s side refuses to go away, with Villa continuing to produce results to keep themselves in the mix.
Speaking after Villa’s 0-0 draw with Everton about his team’s form and mentality heading into the rest of the season, McGinn issued a warning to the rest of the league about their future title hopes.
He stated: “We go into every game with the mindset that we are going to win. Even near the end of the [Everton] game, we were pushing. At that moment, they were content with the draw, but we wanted to win. We have that mentality now.
“We’re coming here to dominate and get the three points. Our mentality is correct. We’re in a good spot. One thing that goes unreported, that many people overlook, is that we have a large injury list. We have done this all season, but we have adapted.
“We are missing some top players so for us to be in the mix it is a really exciting thing to be waiting on them to come back.”
McGinn also mentioned that his team has squandered opportunities to top the table, and he is looking forward to the task ahead. He continued, “The unfortunate thing for us is we have had multiple opportunities to climb to the top of the table, whether it is on our own or joint with another team.
“That has been frustrating, whether it was against Nottingham Forest (a 2-0 defeat in November), Sheffield United (a 1-1 draw before Christmas), or here again. However, the league is extremely challenging; teams will take points away from one another. City are certainly the favourites to win, but you never know. This season has been quite exciting, and I am thrilled to be a part of what will undoubtedly be an amazing conclusion.”
Villa lost 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in early September. The two clubs are not set to meet again until the return match at Villa Park on May 11, which could prove to be a key encounter in the
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