Unai Emery has done a remarkable job at Aston Villa since taking charge of the club. The Spanish manager had a forgettable debut in English football when he accepted the Arsenal job as Arsene Wenger’s successor. Although he fell short of expectations in North London, Emery has become a beloved figure among the Villa Park faithful, guiding them back to the Champions League after decades.
Unai Emery has encountered some problems in the 2024/25 season. His Villa side appears the most vulnerable defensively and the least effective in attack since his arrival. There have been highs, like beating Bayern Munich at home, but some tactical challenges have become increasingly apparent.
Let’s have a look at the issues that have been holding the West Midlands club back this season:
Increased Individual Errors on Defense
Aston Villa finished fourth last season, but they conceded the highest number of goals in the top four. Emery’s side shipped 61 goals, while their top four peers Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool have conceded 34, 29, and 41 goals, respectively. So, there has been a tactical shakeup to address this issue.
Emery deployed a high defensive line last season, but this time around, he has pushed the defense further back. The idea behind this shift was to handle opposition forwards with explosive pace better. However, the defensive statistics have been far from encouraging.
Villa has made nine errors, leading to shots on goal in the first 13 Premier League game weeks this season, compared to just 11 in the whole of last season. While their expected goals-against figure has significantly improved to 1.08, they have conceded 22 goals in their first 13 league matches, which hardly reflects any real progress.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has been a cornerstone of the team’s success under Emery. The Argentinian shot-stopper is the odds-on favorite to lead the league in saves and penalty stops this season. However, underlying statistics suggest that even he has been underperforming.
Martinez has recorded a save percentage of just 60.5% in the league this season, with only three goalkeepers in the division posting worse figures. But, top bookies in the business, with the best free bet offers, are still backing Martinez to improve and finish the season as one of the top Premier League goalkeepers.
Blunt Attack
Moussa Diaby, who had 14 goal contributions last season, left for Saudi Arabia in the summer. Diaby’s absence, combined with the poor form of Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, has severely affected Villa’s attack.
Morgan Rogers is having an excellent season for Villa, but the team has been too reliant on the young England international for a creative spark. Emery needs to devise a suitable backup plan when the opposition successfully marks Rogers out of the game.
One of the possible solutions could be pairing Jhon Duran with Watkins. However, this approach has left significant gaps in midfield, which opponents have quickly exploited. Spurs capitalized on these spaces behind Villa’s attack, which led to a catastrophic 4-1 collapse in the final half.
Ange Postecoglou’s team struck twice within 10 minutes of Duran replacing Rogers. The match opened up as Villa’s forward pair focused on attacking runs. As a result, gaping holes opened up in the middle of the park, and the Spurs utilized those for their counters.
Since Tottenham have some of the fastest attackers in the league, they were able to run into the spaces and catch the Villa defense off-guard.
Aston Villa have been creating chances. They ranked second in the Premier League, with 37 chances created in the first 13 matches of the ongoing Premier League season. Unfortunately, Ollie Watkins, who bagged 19 goals last season, has struggled to replicate his prolific form.
Douglas Luiz Replacement
At the moment, Aston Villa lacks a midfield general like Douglas Luiz. Emery could not find a proper replacement for Luiz, who left for Juventus in the summer. Aston Villa’s average possession has fallen to 50.5%, down from last season’s 52.8%, largely due to Luiz’s absence in midfield.
There has been a decline in other related statistics as well. Aston Villa completed an average of 402.7 passes per 90 minutes last season, but that figure has dropped to 370.3 this season. Similarly, they made 38.2 progressive passes per 90 minutes last season, which has fallen to 33.5 in their current campaign.
Emery needs to find a midfield solution that allows Villa to push further up the pitch and stretch out their shape. Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans have performed reasonably well so far, but they have yet to replicate the midfield control and flair that Luiz and Boubacar Kamara displayed last season.
