When Aston Villa finally made the inevitable sacking of Steven Gerrard official after suffering a 3-0 defeat away at Fulham last week, one CV stood out most to the club’s leadership team.
The man they wanted was a serial winner of European trophies, who speaks five languages, and has developed a reputation for turning mid-table sides into serious contenders on the continental stage. After agreeing a compensation package with Villarreal, Unai Emery was announced as the new man in charge at Villa Park on Monday.
The 50-year-old enjoyed a successful spell in charge of The Yellow Submarine, guiding the club to the Europa League title in 2021 by defeating Manchester United and the semi-finals of the Champions League earlier this year where Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool were given a serious run for their money.
Emery also earned acclaim for his work during a four-year stint in Valencia and won three consecutive Europa League titles between 2014 and 2016 with Sevilla, but endured mixed spells in charge of Spartak Moscow in Russia, PSG and Arsenal where he replaced Arsene Wenger at the end of the Frenchman’s mammoth spell in charge in 2019.
So, what can Villa fans expect from Emery’s tactical approach?
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Unai Emery tactics overview
Throughout his career, Emery has used either a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 shape with certain common qualities. The most important is that Emery uses two very deep-lying players in a double pivot at the base of his midfield in order to protect the defence and make his sides tough to play through, forcing teams wide in order to try to create chances.
At Sevilla, former Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion players Steven N’Zonzi and Grzegorz Krychowiak were the fulcrum for the final Europa League success over Liverpool in Basel, Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka operated there for his Arsenal team, and most recently Dani Parejo and Etienne Capoue defined the shape of his Villarreal side. The midfield is there to protect first and foremost, while the full-backs are more defensively minded than in many top teams on the continent.
Unai Emery’s career in numbers
Clubs managed (2004-present):
- Lorca Deportivo 2004-06
- Almeria 2006-08
- Valencia 2008-12
- Spartak Moscow 2012
- Sevilla 2012-16
- PSG 2016-18
- Arsenal 2018-19
- Villarreal 2020-22
- Aston Villa 2022
Major honours (10):
- Sevilla – UEFA Europa League (2014, 2015, 2016)
- Paris Saint-Germain – Ligue 1 (2018), Coupe de France (2017, 2018), Coupe de la Ligue (2017, 2018), Trophée des Champions (2017)
- Villarreal – UEFA Europa League – (2021)
Going forward, Emery typically employs traditional, quick wide players in order to try to and counter-attack at speed to create space in the centre of the final third around the penalty area. At Villarreal, former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma has been key to that approach, with the team’s shape switching from a very narrow 4-4-2 out of possession to something akin to a 4-2-2-2 on the break once the ball is won back.
Teams Emery has coached, PSG aside, have not necessarily always focused on having the majority of possession. Instead, Emery builds a solid defensive structure and makes his teams threatening once they win back the ball.
Impact on Aston Villa squad
Gerrard spent the majority of the season setting Villa up in a 4-3-3 or narrow 4-3-2-1 shape, but the team didn’t have much of an identifiable way of playing or a blueprint for scoring goals. The end result was just seven goals scored in the opening 11 matches of the campaign, and a fanbase demanding change both in the dugout and on the pitch.
Caretaker boss Aaron Danks altered that approach to a 4-2-3-1 for the home fixture against Brentford to great effect, the team winning 4-0 in a performance which saw them look far more creative and well-structured.
Emery is likely to continue along similar lines. Douglas Luiz, Leander Dendoncker and Boubacar Kamara (when back from injury) are players who could form the solid double pivot Emery favours, while Danny Ings has similarities with some of the poachers he has used in attack, like Gerard Moreno and Kevin Gameiro.
Leon Bailey has often struggled for playing time since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2021, but his pace and ability to carry the ball at speed will allow Emery’s Villa to break at speed from their narrow shape, reminiscent of Danjuma’s impact on the Villarreal team.
In his own words
Emery arrives at Villa Park with just under 18 months of Premier League experience under his belt from his time at Arsenal and believes that the physical intensity of the English top flight is what renders it unique.
“Every league has its good points, and what the Premier League has is a very high physical level,” Emery told Coaches’ Voice in an interview earlier this year. “In addition to the tactical, technical, and psychological aspects of football, the physical side is also very important. Players must have all four of these qualities, and teams operate at a high level in all of them. The level of intensity of both the teams and players [in the Premier League] is really high.”
For Emery, the different experience he has built up working in four different countries has shaped him both as a coach and human being, and he takes the positive aspect of each role forward with him.
“These are very good experiences, because you get to work in other languages, with other cultures, other ways of living and understanding football,” Emery explained. “That also in the end gives you an inner richness. You can incorporate the things you think are good from those experiences in France or England to your work in Spain [for example].”
Way of working
In his native Spain, Emery is considered a meticulous coach who has produced a succession of tactically astute teams which have overperformed under his guidance. As well as his four Europa League triumphs and respectable period in charge of Valencia, Emery led Almeria to their first ever promotion to La Liga and a very impressive top half finish while still in his mid 30s.
Former Valencia winger Joaquin credits Emery’s obsession with football and comprehensive video analysis with his success but says that working under him is an intense experience for players.
“Emery put on so many videos I ran out of popcorn!” the Real Betis star explained. “He’s obsessed with football – it’s practically an illness. He’s one of the best managers I’ve had. I worked with him for three years. I couldn’t handle a fourth!”
It is notable that Emery’s most successful spells as a manager have come with teams who sit outside of their nation’s traditional highest echelon, often with squads composed of talented, hard-working players rather than superstars.
Aston Villa predicted XI (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young; Buendia, Luiz, Dendoncker, Bailey; Watkins, Ings
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