Open Premier League season more interesting, says Swansea captain Ashley Williams
Saturday 17 October 2015 12:01, UK
Swansea captain Ashley Williams believes the open nature of this season makes the Premier League more entertaining.
Garry Monk's men finished last season with a record points total of 56 and their highest-ever Premier League finish of eighth place.
This term, reigning champions Chelsea have massively struggled for form, while Crystal Palace and Leicester have surged up to fourth and fifth respectively, and Williams is excited to see some different teams near the top.
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"It's very difficult to get into that top group, especially the top four," he told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview.
"But you'd like to think, for the good of the league, that a team can push in there. We had a good season last season, Southampton as well, so it's getting a bit closer.
"You'll always get one that will make a go of it, and I think it makes for a more entertaining and interesting league - it's not just always the same teams.
"You see the way Palace and Leicester have started, so it just shows that with a bit of confidence, and a little bit of momentum in the league, you can find yourself in a position you probably thought you wouldn't be in."
Swansea finished eighth last season, just missing out on the Europa League places, and Williams is targeting a spot in Europe once again.
The Welsh side entered the competition in 2013/14 but struggled to juggle European and domestic form, eventually finishing 12th in the Premier League.
"When we were in the Europa League we found it very hard - [then-manager] Michael Laudrup brought in a lot of players to try and strengthen our squad, and it was still difficult even then," he added.
"We all want to get as high as we can get, we all want to get in the Europa League, but if you haven't got the strength in your squad to compete on both fronts, I'm sure most teams would choose the Premier League over the Europa League for many reasons.
"For me, I'd love to get back in the Europa League because it was an enjoyable experience. We played some good games and it's always nice to travel with your team.
"But it's difficult, and maybe it is something that needs to be looked at, because most of the time you see teams that are in the Europa League struggle in the Premier League, and that shouldn't be right."
See the full interview with Ashley Williams on Soccer Saturday, live from 12pm on Sky Sports News HQ
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