MAGIC MAN EMERY REVIVES VILLA

JOHN LYONS REPORTS ON THE REMARKABLE TRANSFORMATION AT ASTON VILLA OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS

IF YOU had predicted a couple of years ago that Aston Villa would soon be playing Champions League football, you would have got some strange looks. As Villa fl y high right now, it’s easy to forget what a mess they were in such a short time ago. When Steven Gerrard’s unhappy reign came to an end after a 3-0 defeat at Fulham left them above the relegation zone only on goals scored, the mood was grim.

The Midlands club were in the doldrums and needed someone special to turn their fortunes around. Step forward, Unai Emery.

Things might not have worked out for the Spaniard at Arsenal, but his CV certainly stacked up. There were those remarkable three Europa League crowns in a row with Sevilla (2014-16), another with Villarreal in 2021 (beating Manchester United on penalties in the final), and a French league title with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 52-year-old has already racked up more than 1,000 matches in the dugout since starting out with Lorca Deportiva in his homeland 20 years ago. While it hasn’t always been plain sailing, the general trend is that Emery has overachieved. Indeed, a remarkable win percentage of 53 percent shows how successful he has been down the years.

Yet some wondered whether he would want to return to England following that bruising experience with Arsenal. Succeeding the legendary Arsene Wenger was never going to be easy for anyone who took the hot seat, but Emery looked to have all the characteristics to suggest he could do it.