Paul Merson suggested that the Premier League have a big problem on their hands because Aston Villa have played a game less than the likes of West Ham, when writing a column for Sky Sports.
Both Villa and the Hammers are in all sorts of trouble at the moment.
As things stand, Aston Villa are sitting in 19th position in the Premier League table on 25 points.
West Ham, meanwhile, are sitting in 16th spot on 27 points.
Deans Smith’s side have played a game less than David Moyes’s men, however. So it is surely impossible for the season to be rendered null and void and Villa to be sent down.
Merson highlighted the predicament that the Premier League have, when writing writing his weekly column for Sky Sports:
“It would have been a very simple solution if everybody had played the same amount of games. The problem is the teams at the bottom, and in particular Aston Villa. If everyone had played the same amount of games, we wouldn’t have a problem. Everyone would be on 29 games, the good teams are at the top, and the poor teams are at the bottom. And that’s it. How can you call a league now and say Aston Villa are relegated? If they win their game in hand, they’re out of the bottom three. Now we have the problem, now we’re stuck. On Thursday when the Premier League talk, they’ll be stuck on what to do regarding Aston Villa. Villa are the problem!”
In addition to that extremely valid point from Merson, Villa are scheduled to play West Ham on the last day of the season.
Surely if the west Midlands outfit were relegated by default, however, they could argue that they could have beaten the Hammers at the London Stadium.
Who knows what will happen eventually, or when Premier League will actually resume again.
Surely the fairest solution would be to just pick up where we left off, whenever that may be. Even if it’s September or October. If anything, it should be next season that is affected, not this one.
And Villa and West Ham should both have to resume their relegation battles.
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