Five reasons why Man United and Liverpool must take Aston Villa seriously

Birmingham Live provides Aston Villa news as Unai Emery’s squad attempts to maintain their strong start to the Premier League season, with five clubs likely to qualify for Champions League play this year.

During the course of this season, Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has been confronted with inquiries regarding the club’s competitiveness for Champions League play in nearly every press conference.

His reply remains unchanged. According to him, Chelsea, Manchester United, Villa, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City are all further along in the race for European football, let alone a top-four or top-five finish this season, than Villa.

The duration of Emery’s remarks being taken seriously by outsiders will be contingent on Villa’s ability to maintain the level of play they have displayed during the initial three months of the season. Last season, Newcastle finished in the top four despite maintaining consistency throughout the entire campaign; however, they accumulated four fewer points after 12 matches compared to Villa.

Here are five reasons why Villa can bid for Champions League football come May…

Form over 12 months

Villa’s impressive start to the season under Emery is a continuance of the form that his squad displayed at the conclusion of February. Following a five-match winning streak in his first ten matches as Villa head coach, Emery has not suffered back-to-back league losses more than once.

Since defeating Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park in February, Villa has only experienced a loss following a previous match in which they either lost or drew. Emery’s 60.5% win percentage in his first year in command is the highest of any manager in the club’s illustrious history, surpassing even George Ramsay (49%), who won six league titles and six FA Cups.

Only Manchester City have surpassed Villa in terms of wins in the Premier League this year (2023). Furthermore, Emery’s squad equaled a club record of 21 Premier League victories in a calendar year with their 3-1 victory over Fulham last Sunday. They must defeat Burnley, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Sheffield United in order to shatter that extraordinary record.

Therefore, predictions that Villa could finish in the top five carry considerably more weight when one considers the body of work that Emery has produced during his first year at Villa Park, as opposed to solely the initial twelve games of the season. In the league’s 34 games of 2023, Villa have accumulated 68 points, the same number as Arsenal; only Manchester City have amassed more.

No signs of midweek toil

A thorough analysis of the games that Villa has participated in this season reveals much for analysis. After 19 games contested across all competitions, Emery’s squad has recorded 14 victories and one draw.

Thus far, they have effectively adjusted to the additional workload of Europa Conference League matches. Prior to the start of the season, Villa’s exclusion from contention for a top-six finish was primarily attributable to their participation in Europe, an area in which West Ham encountered difficulty the previous season.

However, under the guidance of Emery, a manager who has coached teams in European competitions for the past seventeen seasons, Villa players are equipped with comprehensive tools and information that enables them to execute a meticulous game plan on any given Sunday or Thursday evening.

With the exception of international holidays, Villa have had only two weeks without a match in the Carabao Cup or Europe during the first three months of the season. To this point, Emery’s squad has demonstrated that they can handle Europe; however, the burden increases in the knockout stages, particularly if Villa are to contend for a Champions League berth as well.

Nevertheless, this group has demonstrated that it can perform admirably under duress and even seize opportunities. Following a ten-game unblemished streak between the conclusion of February and the conclusion of April, Villa suffered consecutive defeats at the hands of United and Wolves. When it mattered most, Emery’s squad delivered in their final three matches against European rivals Tottenham, Liverpool, and Brighton, under duress to earn at least seven points.

Firepower

As goals decide contests, Emery’s squad is scoring freely at Villa Park. Villa, following its 3-1 victory over Fulham, joined Manchester City as the only other Premier League teams to have scored three or more goals in each of their first six home league contests, a feat they also accomplished last season.

Villa have achieved the unprecedented feat of winning all thirteen of their home games in the Premier League since October 1983. Furthermore, in 2023, they have triumphed in 14 home games, which is the same number as in the preceding two calendar years combined.

Summer agreement Ollie Waktins and Moussa Diaby have created more opportunities for each other in the Premier League than any other combination, while Villa’s number 11 is attempting to join the club’s record as the first to score 20 or more goals in the league this season.

Watkins has contributed directly to 26 Premier League goals in 2023 (eight goals, twenty-six assists), with only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah having accumulated more involvements in the same season.

So far this season, only Manchester City have accumulated more goals than Villa. However, Emery’s squad has scored the overwhelming majority of its goals in front of its home crowd. They must enhance their away performance in order to increase their likelihood of finishing in the top five.

Villa’s calling card

Villa defeated Manchester United and Newcastle convincingly with three goals each during Emery’s tenure as manager, and also completed a double over Tottenham and Brighton. Furthermore, they maintained eight clean sheets, earned a point at Anfield, and defeated Chelsea away from home.

Villa have only maintained two clean sheets in the Premier League and have been unbeaten away from home twice this season. However, Emery has demonstrated that he is capable of coaching this Villa squad to win in a variety of methods.

While the head coach of Villa remains on the lookout for the ideal combination of goal-scoring and goal-keeping on the field this season, his squad has already made an impact on other teams vying for the Champions League. Prior to scoring four goals against West Ham at home, Brighton fell behind 6-1. Both of those teams began the season with the intention of qualifying for Europe and finishing ahead of Villa.

Ramsey and Moreno returns

The fact that Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia are both out for the season with knee injuries they sustained at the beginning of the campaign, while neither Jacob Ramsey nor Alex Moreno have even started a game yet, is evidence of the extraordinary work that Emery has accomplished.

Villa’s form last season was dependent on both Moreno and Ramsey, and their returns following the international break will provide Emery with an enormous boost. Moreno, who joined during the January transfer window, had a profound effect on the group, whereas Ramsey contributed to nine goals in the final twelve league games of the season.

Additionally, the 22-year-old assisted in the scoring of four of the five goals scored by Villa in their season-deciding final three matches against Liverpool, Tottenham, and Brighton. Villa, in contrast to other clubs that are suffering from injury-related setbacks, will have two players return this season in an effort to make up for time lost.