Last season, Aston Villa fell short in their bid for promotion to the Premier League.Manager Steve Bruce came under heavy scrutiny, with some fans calling for the ex-Birmingham City coach to be sacked.In the 2017-18 campaign, though, the outlook is more optimistic for the Midlands outfit given that they currently sit fifth in the Championship, five points adrift of the top two.After a three-game winless start to the season, Villa upped turned things around by going eight league matches unbeaten.They hit a snag against fellow promotion chasers Wolverhampton Wanderers by losing 2-0 at Molineux, but got back to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Fulham.Following last weekend's goalless draw with arch rivals Birmingham, Villa nabbed a 2-0 away win at Preston on Wednesday night.James Chester and Robert Snodgrass got on the scoresheet, leaving former Villa defender Paul McGrath in a very complimentary mood.

The team will return home this Saturday to face Sheffield Wednesday.

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