Tony Cascarino makes Aston Villa and Southampton claim

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Tony Cascarino appears to have hinted to The Times that the likes of Aston Villa and Southampton cannot be ruled out of the Premier League title race after their outstanding starts to the season.

The Saints and Villans have been two of the division’s real success stories thus far. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men went top of the table after beating Newcastle United on Friday.

Meanwhile, Villa now sit within touching distance of the summit. Dean Smith’s men are three points off Leicester City with a game in hand over the sides above.

It has been a remarkable start to the campaign, with just eight points separating the top 15 sides. That potentially opens the door for a surprise winner this season.

And Cascarino seemed to suggest that it is too soon to say that Southampton and Villa cannot emulate the Foxes’ stunning achievement four years ago.

“In 2016, the only reason people were saying Leicester couldn’t win the league was because they were Leicester — now it’s the same with the likes of Southampton and Aston Villa,” he told The Times.

“I definitely couldn’t pick a winner now, but Liverpool and Manchester City are only favourites because of who they are, not how well they are playing.”

It will be fascinating to see how the Saints and Villa get on in the coming months. Their fans will surely be reluctant to get too carried away with so much of the campaign left.

But Southampton are the in-form side in the league. No team has taken more points from their last six games, with Hasenhuttl’s side winning five and drawing one.

And Villa have shown that they can beat anyone. They tore Liverpool apart and won 7-2 at Villa Park. And after a couple of defeats, they proved a real point with a stunning performance at Arsenal on Sunday.