Emery’s ‘magic’ is changing Aston Villa’s fortunes

This season, the Premier League has seen some unexpected changes. One of the most notable teams is Aston Villa. This team, which was not particularly well known, has begun to challenge the traditional giants under the leadership of manager Unai Emery. They are now in fifth place in the table, just shy of the Champions League qualification zone. And it’s all because of the changes Emery has brought about.

A win puts them back in the top five.

Last weekend, Aston Villa beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at home. The win not only took their points tally to 66, but also pushed them to the fifth position in the Premier League. Although they are currently ranked slightly below Chelsea, the difference is only a matter of goal difference.

If they can get another win in the final round of matches, along with mistakes from their other rivals, Aston Villa could reach the Champions League for the second year in a row. Keep in mind that over the past few years, Champions League qualification has been almost exclusively monopolized by the Premier League’s six big teams: Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. But now, those two former big names – Tottenham and Manchester United – are the ones Villa are chasing.

Limited strength but bright results

On paper, Aston Villa are not a particularly wealthy club. Their team value is only eighth in the Premier League, €200 million lower than Tottenham Hotspur, who just lost to them. They also spend a lot less on player salaries compared to Manchester City or Manchester United. For example, United’s wage bill is €130 million more than theirs, and City’s is almost double that.

Moreover, Villa’s wage bill accounts for a whopping 63% of their total income. That means they have to be very careful with their spending and can’t sign big name players at will like the giants. But they still achieved good results, which shows that coach Emery’s role is very crucial.

Once in the doldrums, now bouncing back strong

Just over two months ago, at the beginning of February this year, things weren’t looking good for Aston Villa. They were four points behind the top five and hadn’t won five consecutive games in the league (four draws and one loss). It looked like they might miss out on Champions League qualification.

But to my surprise, since then, their form has suddenly gotten better. In their last 9 home matches against Tottenham, they won 8 of them. And in all competitions, they have been undefeated at home for 21 consecutive matches. This turnaround has been surprising and has given fans renewed hope.

Now, as long as they can beat Manchester United on the road in the last round and other teams lose, they have a chance to get the Champions League ticket. It’s difficult, but not impossible.

The coach’s words are plain, but powerful

Facing the upcoming crucial match, Emery didn’t put too much pressure on his players. He said, “I told the players that the most important thing in playing soccer is to enjoy the process. We not only want to win the game, but also to play our own style, even if we encounter difficulties, it does not matter. These experiences will make us stronger.”

This statement sounds simple, but it actually conveys a very important idea: don’t just focus on the result, but focus on the process of each game. This attitude could be the very reason why Villa can continue to improve.

A small budget can make a big difference

Emery knows that his team has a limited budget, but he is good at utilizing the resources at hand. He is not the kind of coach who only relies on money to win matches, but is better at stimulating players’ potential through tactical adjustments and personnel rotation.

Villa also did well in the Champions League this season. They were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, and before that, they reached the FA Cup final, but unfortunately lost to Crystal Palace.

Nonetheless, their performance in the Premier League has been stable. Especially after bringing in several new players in the winter transfer window, the overall strength of the team has improved significantly.

Winter reinforcements bring changes

During the winter transfer period, Villa signed a number of loan players, including Marcus Rashford, Donyell Mallon, Marco Asensio and Axel Di Sassi. These aren’t superstars, but they all bring different traits to the table, giving Emery more options to choose from.

These players have integrated into the team very quickly since joining. The stats show that from the time they joined until the 36th round of games, Villa scored more points per game than any other Premier League team in that time. The average is 2.17 points per game, which is a little higher than Liverpool. In comparison, Manchester United and Tottenham have averaged just 0.83 and 0.92 points respectively over the same period.

The trio of Mallon, Asensio and Rashford have been involved in 17 goals combined. Di Sassi, on the other hand, has played an important role in the backline. He has played in the last six Premier League matches, whether playing at right-back or center-back, and Villa have only lost one game, winning three, drawing two, and keeping two clean sheets in the rest of the matches.

These stats clearly show that these new players are helping the team immensely.

Rotation tactics are also important

Apart from bringing in new players, Emery is also very good at rotating his squad. This means that he doesn’t play certain starters all the time, but gives more players the chance to play.

For example, when star striker Jon Doolan moved to Saudi Arabia, many feared Villa would lose the heart of their attack. But as it turns out, the replacements quickly filled the void. In the match against Brighton, Asensio and Mallon both scored after coming on as substitutes, and in the Southampton match, all three goalscorers came on as second-half substitutes.

Emery said: “I can tell the players that we have been improving over the last few months. Sometimes, playing even just 20 minutes can help a team win. There are many examples like that.”

He emphasized that a successful team needs to have a large enough pool of players, with at least two available for each position. This will enable them to cope with the pressure of different opponents and different games.

Players are willing to fight for him

Many players in the Villa squad say they like Emery’s style of coaching. He doesn’t put too much pressure on the players and encourages them to work together.

Midfielders McGinn and Tilemans both said they trust the coach’s arrangement. Whether they are starters or substitutes, everyone is ready to play at any time. Emery also adjusts flexibly according to the game situation, and sometimes puts some players who don’t play too often on the top.

This makes the whole team more dynamic and less predictable. It’s hard for opponents to know which lineup is the strongest.

Final game to decide fate

Now, Villa only need one more win to qualify for the Champions League. They will face Manchester United on the road, which is the last round of the season.

Although Villa lost the last four times they faced Man Utd, this time the situation is different. United’s recent form has been very bad, and they have not won in 8 consecutive matches in the EPL, losing 6 of them.

For Villa, this is a rare opportunity. As long as they can capitalize on this opportunity, coupled with a Chelsea or City loss, they have a good chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League.

Emery is rewriting the Premier League landscape

Looking back at the past two seasons, Emery’s Villa have broken the monopoly of the six giants in the EPL many times. With their hard work and perseverance, they have proved that even small teams with limited budgets can succeed in the top league.

Many people call Emery the “Magic Coach” because he can always use the least resources to make the greatest achievements. He doesn’t rely on stars to pile up results, but on teamwork and tactics.

Some may think that all this sounds like a fairy tale. But the reality is, Aston Villa really did it. They tell us with their actions: as long as you work hard, there is no impossibility.