Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville agree on Premier League title race

Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville have both dismissed Aston Villa as Premier League title contenders despite the Midlands club sitting third in the table after 10 consecutive wins

(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Aston Villa shouldn't be viewed as genuine Premier League title challengers this season, despite their blistering run of form. This is the verdict from both Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, who have ruled out Unai Emery's side's chances.

Villa currently sits third in the Premier League table, trailing leaders Arsenal by three points and sitting one point behind second-placed Manchester City. Following a sluggish opening to the campaign, they have strung together 10 consecutive league victories to surge up the standings. Liverpool, meanwhile, beat Tottenham on Saturday night to keep up the pace - but the win came at a cost, with Alexander Isak possibly sidelined with a broken leg.

Their 2-1 triumph over Manchester United on Sunday extended their perfect home record to 10 wins on the bounce at Villa Park, where they have suffered just one defeat in 2025. In-form Morgan Rogers netted both goals for Emery's team, who will face a genuine examination of their title credentials when they visit Chelsea and Arsenal in their upcoming fixtures.

Villa have played down suggestions of mounting a challenge against Arsenal and City for the crown, with Neville delivering his assessment after witnessing them overcome his former side on Sunday. "I'm drawing a line beneath the top two," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"Aston Villa are there and should be respected but they're not going to win the league.", reports the Mirror.

"I would be amazed if that happened. A lot would have to go wrong for Arsenal and Man City for Aston Villa to win the league. The league is bizarre, I mean not the top two, but beneath it. You're not quite sure what to make of the other teams."

Rooney mirrored his former teammate's sentiments on Sunday evening. When ex-Villa striker Dion Dublin suggested on Match of the Day that Villa were in contention, Rooney was asked for his opinion.

Wayne Rooney isn't convinced Aston Villa's form will continue(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

He responded without hesitation: "No. I don't think they are – and that's not me being disrespectful to Aston Villa.

"They're just not as good as Arsenal and Man City. They're doing excellent, they're doing great, but to win the title, it takes a lot and I just don't feel they're going to be in the title race."

When questioned about Villa's impressive home form and Emery's credentials, Rooney continued: "Yeah, but I just think it takes something special to win the Premier League title and I just don't think Aston Villa are at the level of Arsenal or Man City."

Villa have managed just one clean sheet across their previous eight matches in all competitions, and that came against bottom-placed Wolves. They also find themselves 15th in a Premier League table based on Expected Goals (xG), indicating they are currently overperforming.

Emery's squad have conceded first in each of their last five Premier League away fixtures, and whilst they have rallied to claim victory in three of those encounters, their displays don't reflect those of championship-calibre side.

"We are not contenders," Emery admitted following the United match. "We are here because we are competing fantastic. The players are really focusing each match with what we are trying to set and being consistent. But we are not contenders to be there."

Rogers was unequivocal about Villa's approach to the title, stating to Sky Sports: "You make those conversations, not us. We're firmly focused on the task at hand and handling it each game."