Four games into their league campaign Aston Villa were the only club in English football’s top seven divisions without a goal.
The fruitless start sparked inward frustration over the summer’s transfer activity, and outwardly curiosity increased over whether Villa’s best days under Unai Emery were behind them.
But in Emery Villa have trusted since October 2022, and suddenly his stubborn and meticulous nature transformed the club into unlikely Premier League title contenders after they beat leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
Here’s the tale of the turnaround, including the unsung hero, the player who defines their squad depth, and proof they are laughing in the face of your least favourite metric.
INCREDIBLE END TO THE GAME
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 6, 2025
Emi Buendia wins it for Aston Villa in the 95th minute!@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/19Xr7jN10E
Emery being Emery
Many would panic, but that is not in Emery’s nature. Analysing and re-analysing is, though; with the Villa’s head coach’s penchant for watching back matches ensuring both the coaching staff and players pored over their early-season errors.
“I was so, so worried, and the players as well,” Emery said in late October. “Every analysis we do about how we have to improve things is through the analysis in the videos and then on the field.”
The approach has paid off, and though the stubbornness of Emery led to defeat on 1 November at Liverpool – when it was clear the champions were suffering under the long ball, but Villa did not follow suit – that match at Anfield goes down as their only defeat in the league since the start of September.
Otherwise, Emery sticking to his principles has helped the club rediscover their form of recent years, which has resulted in only Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City picking up more points than Villa since the Spaniard’s appointment.
Defying xG
Hate “expected goals”? Villa have little time for it either, laughing in the face of this divisive metric by significantly defying their xG in the Premier League.
Only Tottenham Hotpsur (25 goals vs xG of 14.96) have outscored their xG more than Villa (22 vs 16.45), and that is down to Emery’s side trying their luck more from distance.
Villa were too cute in their opening four games, and recorded just nine shots on target from 40, but since they have been shooting from further out they seen a marked improvement.
Unsustainable? Perhaps, but a remarkable double at Spurs gave them all three points, while two free-kick goals – which no other Premier League club has achieved so far this season – prove this accuracy is less about flukes and more about the quality of their players from 20 or so yards out.
Dibu forgiven and PSR complaints forgotten
A tumultuous summer had dominated Villa’s early-season attention. Ezri Konsa said the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) had “killed” the club during a transfer window where they made just one major permanent signing (Evann Guessand from Nice for £26m) and sold one of their own, Jacob Ramsey, to Newcastle United.
The frustrations were evidently getting to a lethargic-looking Villa, but in true sing-when-you’re-winning fashion there has been no PSR talk in recent months. Keeping it that way can only help.
And while that has been forgotten, there has also been forgiveness for Emiliano Martinez, whose move to Manchester United fell through after the goalkeeper left Emery repeatedly replying “Marco Bizot” – their back-up ‘keeper – in a bizarre pre-match interview when dropping the Argentine.
Martinez has since regained the gloves, and currently boasts the best save percentage (78.6) of any goalkeeper in the Premier League.
La remontada de Buendia
File this under Villa’s feel-good story of the campaign, with the comeback of Emiliano Buendia so far reducing loan signing Jadon Sancho to a bit-part role.
The Argentine has already clocked more minutes than he managed the entirety of last season (at Villa plus on loan at Bayer Leverkusen), while one-third of his total Villa goals (15) have come this season, including a stunner at Spurs and last-kick winner against Arsenal.
"A beauty of a finish from Emi Buendia!"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 19, 2025pic.twitter.com/KHZVO01nFD
The unsung hero
He has not always been a fan favourite, but the perseverance of Matty Cash has made the full-back one of Villa’s most consistent performers this season.
The Poland international has even become an added threat in attack. From just one shot in their first four league games, Cash has had at least one attempt in all but one of their 11 league games since.
He was their first Premier League scorer of the season against Sunderland, helping the club end that drought after 427 minutes, while his winner against Manchester City in October capped off a man-of-the-match display.
Enviable squad depth
With a Europa League campaign – in which bookmakers have them favourites – to navigate as well, Emery has benefited from Villa’s impressive squad depth.
Your next read
Only Fulham and Bournemouth (72) have used more substitutes than Villa (71), while only Brighton (eight) have scored more goals than Villa (six) off the bench.
Emery is also yet to name an unchanged XI in back-to-back league games, with Donyell Malen arguably the best example of being able to make changes and yet still start international-grade players.
Malen has seven goals already this term, and having been the unlucky fall guy for their Champions League knockout campaign last season, he has proved his worth this season and even shown Ollie Watkins the way in front of goal.
from Football - The i Paper https://ift.tt/nF9ANsg
Post a Comment