Aston Villa Manager Unai Emery tore into his team following their 1-0 home loss to Everton on Sunday, stating his team is not a contender to be in the top five.Thierno Barry struck from a rebound a minute before the hour mark to inflict a first home loss in 12 games across all competitions on Aston Villa, bringing an end to an 11-game winning run at Villa Park.
Unai Emery’s team had dominated all the visiting teams at their home ground since a 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace in Birmingham back in August, including top teams like Arsenal, and the two Manchester clubs.
That loss to Palace was their only home defeat in 35 games across all competitions in the last 15 months, a testament to how much they have improved their home form and made the Villa Park a fortress.
However, after the loss to Everton, the Spaniard showed no remorse for his team, confessing that there are more teams with better potential to finish in the top five than Aston Villa, despite their current strong position.
While his words carry ounces of truth, it isn’t expected to come from him, despite the season the team is having, and his statement will surely have repercussions, which could mean it is downward from here for Villa.
Aston Villa’s season has fared well but Unai Emery wasn’t lying
Aston Villa are having a very good season, and while a lot of critics will move to discredit them due to the courses their games have taken, it should be understood that it takes more than luck to get lucky at all times.
Before the defeat at Emirates Stadium at the end of December, the team had won 11 consecutive games across all competitions, equaling a century-long club record, and moving themselves into the midst of the title discussion.
Despite their recent slumps, they remain one of the contenders for the Premier League title; seven points ahead of fourth-place Liverpool, level on points with second-place Man City, and seven points behind leaders Arsenal.
In Europe, they have secured qualification to the elimination rounds, and a win out of their final two games should see them finish in the top eight in the league phase of the Europa League, where they currently sit third, level on points with first place.
Aston Villa have also seen off Tottenham Hotspur away from home to book their ticket to round four of the Emirates FA Cup, with the Carabao Cup, which has already reached the semi-finals the only competition where they are no longer active.
Aston Villa have so far overachieved, but the man responsible for the magic may have used his own mouth to chatter their resolve ahead of the tough weeks that lie in wait. But he spoke the truth.
Despite the impressive results, question marks remain on if it is sustainable, because the club rarely create dangerous moments, they thrive on spectacular efforts, especially long range strikes.
They rank outside the top 10 for big chances created, and expected goals. The numbers suggest that the Birmingham based club is over performing their abilities, and Unai Emery was not wrong in his assertion, but was wrong to be the one saying it.
Consequences of Unai Emery’s words
Being a coach who has managed at a top level, maybe this is one of the reasons why the Spaniard never lasted at any of the top teams where he had been given a chance. It’s like the ghost of his time at Arsenal revisiting.
Aston Villa’s loss to Everton wasn’t much of a disaster when you put that no team has won more Premier League away games than the Toffees since the return of David Moyes at the end of last year, with 10 wins, level with Arsenal.
His words were very harsh for a team of players that had fought for him, and the managers who backed him with signings, and ensured that their best players did not depart in the summer, when they could have embraced more lucrative projects.
With the likes of Liverpool slowly reawakening their best form, and the duo of Chelsea and Manchester United inspired by the appointment of new managers, Aston Villa may have lived the best part of their season.
And Unai Emery, who has been praised for his work and recently picked up the Premier League Manager of the Month award could be the sole culprit behind this fall, because his statement shows a lack of faith in the players, and why would they continue fighting for him?
The recent injury to Boubacar Kamara is a massive blow that threatens to derail the club’s ambitions. As a vital engine in the midfield, Kamara perfectly embodies their style; losing a player of his caliber is never a simple quick fix.
Even if they do make further signings to bolster the squad, to suggest they can easily weather his absence overlooks just how central he is to their identity on the pitch.
The storm is coming for Aston Villa, and Unai Emery will be caught in it. But who knows if that has been his plan all along, because we now live in a world where managers talk themselves out of jobs.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
