When Unai Emery arrived at Aston Villa in November 2022 to replace the struggling Steven Gerrard, few could have imagined the transformative impact the experienced Spanish manager would have. In just over a year at Villa Park, Emery has engineered a remarkable revival that has seen the club established as top four contenders again. His tactical acumen, meticulous preparation and winning pedigree from spells at PSG, Arsenal and Sevilla have catalyzed Villa’s rise to new heights.
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Results
The numbers speak for themselves – Emery has amassed a mightily impressive win percentage of 57.9% at Aston Villa. This is the highest win rate of any manager in the club’s illustrious history, surpassing previous benchmarks set by Ron Saunders, Brian Little and Martin O’Neill. It also eclipses Emery’s own excellent ratios at former clubs like Arsenal, Villarreal and Sevilla, with only his PSG tenure garnering a higher percentage of wins.
Villa’s results and consistency have drastically improved under Emery’s leadership. Since he arrived in November 2022, only the elite trio of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have gained more Premier League points. Put into stark perspective, Villa have collected 62 points in the 2023 calendar year so far, second only to Pep Guardiola’s City.
Projected across an entire 38 game season, Villa’s current average of 2.11 points per Premier League match would lead to an outstanding 80 point haul. Hitting this tally would secure a comfortable top four spot in most campaigns, matching the achievement of legendary sides like Manchester United’s treble winners in 1998-99. It is only one point less than Leicester City’s miracle title-winning tally of 81 points in 2015-16, showing just how far Emery has brought Villa.
Goals
The Spaniard has revolutionized Villa’s previously blunt attack into a ruthless, free-scoring unit. Since taking charge, Emery has overseen Villa scoring 63 goals in just 34 Premier League matches, at an extremely impressive rate of 1.85 per game. The shackles have been removed and Villa are now outgunning their traditional ‘big six’ rivals under Emery’s attacking philosophy.
Watkins has been the biggest individual beneficiary, enjoying a new lease of life under Emery’s tutelage. With 18 league goals scored, the striker is starting to realize his immense potential. “He’s very professional and demanding of himself. We work on tactics and analysis daily which is helping him improve,” Emery explained. This level of coaching focus has elevated Watkins’ game to new heights leading the line.
Stats
Emery’s Villa aren’t just scoring goals, but creating chances galore. Their xG of 17.0 in the Premier League this season rivals the division’s elite creators Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. Crucially, Villa have outperformed these advanced metrics by 5 goals, pointing to increased efficiency in front of goal. At +5, this is the biggest overperformance of expected goals by any Premier League side this season.
While flying on the road, Emery has also made Villa Park a fortress once again. The side are on a remarkable run of 11 consecutive home wins under the Spaniard, stretching back nearly a year. The last defeat came against Arsenal in February 2022, underlining Emery’s outstanding pedigree which saw him win multiple league titles with PSG.
By spearheading every measure of progress, from win percentage to points per game, attacking output, chance creation and defensive solidity, Unai Emery has elevated Aston Villa’s performance to a level not witnessed in decades. With the masterful Spaniard at the helm, the sky is the limit for this sleeping giant of English football. Emery’s managerial expertise and winning mentality have sparked a revival at Villa Park.