Aston Villa have been one of the more impressive Premier League sides this season since the arrival of Unai Emery earlier in the season, but three huge games now lie ahead of them in their European push.
Emery has shown his strengths as one of the top managers in Europe, however, the previous two games for the Midlands club have put a dent in their hopes of landing a spot inside the top seven as they target European qualification.
Defeat against Manchester United will have been hard to take but following up that by losing to their local rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers, will have been a real sucker punch.
Brighton & Hove Albion sit above Emery's men in the table and hold a number of games in hand over Villa. With Roberto De Zerbi's men potentially set to pull away from Villa in the European push, the upcoming game against Tottenham Hotspur will feel even more important.
European football will not have been on the radar at the beginning of the season, but Villa now have a real chance at giving their fans something to look forward to over the summer.
Here's how we think the Villains will fare in their remaining fixtures…
Aston Villa fixtures 13 May: Tottenham (h) 20 May: Liverpool (a) 28 May: Brighton (h) Aston Villa v Tottenham
Much like the Manchester United meeting, this game is another that will be a good gauge of where Villa are at heading into next season. Tottenham are still battling for a spot in Europe themselves, however, they have shown a lot of flaws over recent months and will likely offer Villa chances in front of goal.
Villa Park could be in great voice for what will be a key game in terms of their European destiny. And with the Midlands club picking up a brilliant 2-0 win in north London on New Year's Day thanks to Emiliano Buendia and Douglas Luiz strikes, the points will be there for the taking.
Spurs will go into the game on the back of a victory, however, they have shown over the last few months that they are not a side Villa should be afraid of.
There could be plenty hinging on the result, however, and this may make for a great game, if not a great result.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Tottenham
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Villa's final away match of 2022/23 is a trip to Liverpool in mid-May. The Reds have been below-par all season long, but they have been able to get their season back on track with Jurgen Klopp's men still pushing for what would be a surprise top four finish.
The Anfield faithful will want to end their home campaign in style, so a repeat of Villa's 3-1 defeat to Merseysiders at Villa Park on Boxing Day, or a similar scoreline, could be on the cards as the Reds chase their own late-season glory.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa v Brighton
It all ends with a home clash with an impressive Brighton side on 28th May, as another gruelling season reaches its conclusion. While more recent campaigns have seen Villa playing for nothing on the final day, this one could be very different.
The hope is that they have continued this current good run and taken it through May, at which point they and the Seagulls could be directly vying for a European spot at Villa Park. De Zerbi's side have been highly impressive in 2022/23, so the campaign will likely end with a big test.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton
Predicted run-in points: 4/9 Predicted total points: 58
