How Aston Villa put the Premier League on the sidelines

Aston Villa have beaten Manchester City and Arsenal in their last two games. The club, which returned to the Premier League in 2019, is third in the best league in the world. What's going on? A Euroleague permanent winner, two ex-Leverkusen players and the good old offside have played a key role in the club's rise.

In the summer of 2016, the sporting realities of Aston Villa and Unai Emery could not be further apart. Aston Villa have just been relegated from the Premier League without a chance. The 1982 European Cup winners finished bottom of the English top flight.

Unai Emery, on the other hand, has arrived at the top. As the new ringmaster in Paris, his task is to finally drive the multi-billion euro ensemble to success in the top flight. He comes from Sevilla with the recommendation of three Euroleague trophies in three years. But in Paris, the Spaniard's run of luck came to an end. In the first year, the stars from the French capital were dramatically defeated by FC Barcelona (the Catalans overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit thanks to a 6-1 win in the second leg), while Real Madrid gave Emery's team no chance in the following season (1-3, 1-2). And it's not just internationally that things are going modestly.

In 2016/17, another team, AS Monaco (led by a promising teenager by the name of Kylian Mbappé), even won the French league. The championship title the following year could no longer save Emery. The end came after just two years. Emery came as the eternal Europa League winner, but by now he was also surrounded by the St. Germain aura of eternal failure in the top flight. After all, the round of 16 with PSG was Emery's zenith; he had never made it further in the competition of Europe's best. In 2010/11, he also made it to the first knockout round with Valencia, while three other CL seasons ended in the group stage.

Successor to the legendary figure

The first and final clash between Unai Emery and Aston Villa will take place on September 22, 2019. After three years, Villa finally returned to the Premier League in the summer - and, far from the green turf, became fully owned by billionaires Nassef Sawiri and Wes Eden, or more precisely their company NSWE. Emery signed on as the direct successor to London legend Arsène Wenger at Arsenal. The Gunners won the game 3:2, but Emery was sacked shortly afterwards. Aston Villa finished 17th at the end of the season, narrowly avoiding direct relegation.Emery probably fell victim to the gigantic footsteps of his predecessor, but after parting company with Arsenal, the door to the really big clubs in Europe was closed for him for the time being. His next stop therefore looks like a step backwards. He is drawn to his Spanish homeland, more precisely to FC Villarreal. In his first season with the club, he won the Europa League in the summer of 2021. So far, so Emery. He beat Arsenal FC in the semi-finals and the team only won the final against Manchester United on penalties. It was not only the first international trophy, it was the first title Villarreal had ever won (if you exclude victories in the UI Cup).

Emery beats "one of the best in the world"

One thing is clear: Emery is enjoying another Champions League season. And what a one. After surviving the group stage, Villarreal eliminated Juventus Turin. FC Bayern awaits in the quarter-finals. Unai Emery is delighted with Munich's new coach, Julian Nagelsmann. He describes him as "one of the best coaches in the world", praises the "overflowing footballing youth" that he embodies with his team - and knocks him out of the tournament. The international press is unanimous: Emery has out-coached Nagelsmann. Only in the semi-finals is it over. Liverpool FC is too big a team. The premier class obviously no longer.

"I found part of my heart again", Emery said in Villarreal. These words were not spoken at the Europa League title celebrations or after the semi-final coup in the top flight, but at his farewell. Emery is not being dismissed, but poached. After the outstanding work he delivered in Spain, Aston Villa used an exit clause in Emery's contract in October 2022. After pushing the boundaries of what is possible at Villarreal, he moves to the Premier League's fourteenth-placed club for six million euros.

The key to the city

He had actually already secured a big name. Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool legend, had signed on as coach around a year earlier. Spurred on by his good performances as coach of Glasgow Rangers, Gerrard's name had already been heard around Anfield Road as the future successor to Jürgen Klopp. But the interim step became a stumbling block. Gerrard has been on the touchline for 40 games, averaging just 1.18 points. Hopes that the former world-class midfielder would also become a top coach have been dashed. Gerrard is currently training in Saudi Arabia. And so, Aston Villa secure the big name they have been longing for a year late.

The aforementioned Nassef Sawiri and Wes Edens seem to have copied a successful recipe from the industry giants from Liverpool and Manchester (i.e. City). Sign a top coach, give him the keys to the city - and wait. Piece by piece, the club has the structures rebuilt according to the wishes of the new manager. Even before his first day in the job, Unai Emery calls Damian Vidagany, with whom he has already worked at Valencia. Vidagany is to become Emery's assistant. Without knowing the salary or his role, he agrees. It changes remarkably often.

From assistant to the coach, he first became "Chief of staff" and has now even become an essential part of the club's management as "Aston Villa's Director of Football". Vidagany still sees his job in the same way as he did in his early days. "Everyone here knows that a strong coach makes a strong club. So it's my job to stay in contact with everyone. From the owner, to the academy, to the kit man," he tells The Athletic. He is popular within the club, and his past as a journalist also gives him a certain reputation among the media.

"Messi of the sports directors"

Ramon Rodriguez "Monchi" Verdejo, who has already worked very successfully with Emery as sporting director of Sevilla FC, joined the team this summer. At the Andalusian club, he further developed the youth work, with Sergio Ramos and Jesus Navas, among others, turning professional during his era. Monchi's scouts discovered international players such as Dani Alves, Carlos Bacca and Kevin Gameiro. Jose Castro, president of Sevilla FC, calls him the "Messi of sports directors". Under his leadership, the club collects high transfer fees for players it has developed or discovered itself, yet remains successful in sporting terms.

Martinez celebrated the award for best goalkeeper of the World Cup in his own ... own way.

Aston Villa's owners are not only familiar with high transfer fees from hearsay. Villa break the transfer record for their dream player Moussa Diaby. The club transferred 55 million euros to Bayer Leverkusen. However, Villa's upturn in fortunes can in no way be explained by the signing of stars. The squad does not offer the really big names. Ex-Bayern wizard Philippe Coutinho was sold to Qatar. The best-known player is probably Emiliano Martínez, goalkeeper of the Argentinian national team (exactly, the one from the much-discussed photo after the final).

The offside trap is getting on the league's nerves

In addition to Diaby, Leon Bailey is another ex-Leverkusen player in the squad. Under Emery, he seems to be able to build on his Werkself form this season. In any case, Emery is helping a number of players to take the "next step" that everyone wants. Douglas Luiz, the Brazilian six-man, and Ollie Watkins, an English striker who has scored 16 goals in 16 league games, stand out in particular.

Tailoring the entire club to Unai Emery and his confidants is a gamble. However, given the limited financial resources compared to the league leaders, it is probably one that Villa will have to accept. And the team is also willing to take risks on the pitch. The team defends extremely high and repeatedly relies on its offside trap. Nobody in Europe is better at this special discipline. The opposing strikers run into the forbidden zone against Villa in rows. At the end of November, Tottenham striker Heung-Min Son scored three goals in a duel with the back-heavy defense - all of which were disallowed for offside.

"I'll never achieve that again"

Third in the league, confidently progressed to the knockout rounds of the Conference League: The only negative headline of the season so far has been the jerseys. The players complain that they soak up too much sweat and are soaking wet after just ten minutes. Worries that they would like to have at Manchester United or Chelsea FC.

United are eight points behind Aston Villa, Chelsea are 17 points behind. Villa's success makes the lack of competence of the two Premier League problem children abundantly clear. Over the entire 2023 calendar year, only Manchester City have collected more points than Unai Emery's side. Pep Guardiola's global side recently lost 1-0 at Villa Park, and a week later Arsenal FC also had to leave Birmingham with zero points.

It was the 15th home win in a row. It is a record for the club, with only Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool FC achieving more consecutive victories at home. The coach is also aware of the historic dimension. "I've never achieved that before and never will again in my future as a coach," Emery said when asked about the fantastic run. Fittingly, the stadium is soon to be extended. With Aston Villa's fairytale rise, the club should have no problems filling the new seats.