Since taking over the reins from Steven Gerrard in 2022, Unai Emery has had a transformative impact on Aston Villa. His recruitment has been second to none, his tactics flawless, and results have rocketed him into contention for manager of the year. With Emery leading the charge, could Villa really get their hands on a first-ever Premier League title?
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Another big year ahead. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xCAwWpeFNi
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 5, 2024
Unai Emery: Working Miracles At Villa Park
The sheer brilliance of Emery’s work off the pitch has been mirrored with results on it. Villa is currently priced as the fourth favourite (19/1) to be crowned champions, at least according to Paddy’s football odds. Naturally, they’re trailing Man City (4/6), Liverpool (11/5), and Arsenal (7/1).
Remarkably, those looking to place an outright Premier League online bet will find them ahead of Ange Postecoglou’s rejuvenated Tottenham (30/1), as well as English powerhouses Manchester United (250/1) and Chelsea (475/1).
These odds would have been unthinkable for most Villa fans when Steven Gerrard was sacked in October 2022, with the club hovering outside the relegation zone following a 3-0 drubbing at Craven Cottage. The work Emery has done with the Villans in just over 12 months has been sensational, highlighted by the fact they are soon to surpass their total points tally for 2021-22 in just over half the games.
What Does Villa’s Run-In Look Like?
Villa fans have already enjoyed some impressive scalps this campaign, including victories on the road at Stamford Bridge and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as well as back-to-back 1-0 wins at Villa Park against title challengers Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, there’s still plenty of work to do. Although Emery will reiterate they are taking it one game at a time, the buzz around the training ground must be electric.
There are a couple of tricky runs that Villa must navigate if they are to have any chance at getting their hands on the trophy. The first is in early April when they go away to both Manchester City and Arsenal in the space of 10 days, with a home fixture against Brentford in between. With the title race tensions undoubtedly at a high, Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta will do whatever it takes to claim all three points.
✅ 15 consecutive home wins for the first time in history
✅ Back-to-back 1-0 wins vs. Man City and Arsenal
✅ Third in the Premier League and two points off firstAston Villa have turned Villa Park into a fortress 🏰 pic.twitter.com/pYYoCS3QVE
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 9, 2023
There’s another tough run of games starting on 27th April when Villa host Chelsea. This is followed up with a trip to the Amex to face Brighton and a home clash with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. These games could make or break Emery’s title challenge before a trip to Selhurst Park draws their season to a close.
One Eye On European Glory
It’s also worth noting that Villa don’t have the biggest squad in the league, something which may come back to hurt them toward the back end of the campaign. Given Villa hasn’t had their hands on major European silverware in over 40 years – a famous European Cup triumph in 1982 – you couldn’t blame them for focusing their efforts on the Conference League.
It remains to be seen whether Emery will pick his strongest side for European ties or Premier League battles, but we could see the squad stretched thin the further they progress.
