Premier League 2025-26 Preview No 2: Aston Villa

1 month ago

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not needfully Ben Fisher’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 6th

Aston Villa kits

Prospects

For Aston Villa supporters, nan postcards from past play are worthy of repeated viewing. There were memorable trips to Berne, Bruges, Leipzig, Paris and Monaco arsenic Unai Emery’s broadside enjoyed an absorbing thrust to nan Champions League quarter-finals, and cipher of a claret-and-blue persuasion will hide nan home triumph complete Bayern Munich anytime soon. Then location was nan tally to nan FA Cup semi-finals, though a comprehensive conclusion to Crystal Palace astatine Wembley delivered a sting.

There were plentifulness of positives, chiefly nan continued emergence of Morgan Rogers, now 1 of nan Premier League’s astir coveted players, and nan accordant people of Youri Tielemans down him successful midfield, and yet it was a run tinged pinch disappointment. Villa missed retired connected qualifying for Europe’s elite title connected extremity quality aft defeat astatine Manchester United connected nan last time and Emery’s hunt for silverware – he outlined his desire to triumph a trophy connected presence successful Birmingham almost 3 years agone – goes on. Villa imploding successful nan Europa Conference League semi-finals 2 years ago, losing 6-2 connected aggregate to Olympiakos, wounded but now Emery returns to a title that he knows best: nan Europa League.

Villa person been transformed nether Emery but is location room to grow? Except nan presence of Marco Bizot from Brest, nan 34-year-old goalkeeper signed arsenic a No 2, Villa are yet to sharpen their squad, moreover if nan Dutchman appears a smart bargain fixed they paid a six-figure fee. They mislaid retired to Manchester City successful nan title of Sverre Nypan and were primed to move for nan Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who is now poised to subordinate Paris Saint-Germain, if a nine met nan asking value for Emiliano Martínez.

Improving a beardown squad is not straightforward, particularly successful nan era of profitability and sustainability rules. Villa’s spine – spearheaded by Ollie Watkins – matches that of astir section rivals; Harry Kane is nan only Englishman to registry much goals and assists successful Europe’s apical 5 leagues crossed nan past 5 seasons.

They statesman nan play astatine location to Newcastle, different squad hamstrung by financial parameters, and person a seemingly benignant start, facing only Eddie Howe’s broadside and Brentford from past season’s apical 10 earlier nan October world break. The informing motion is Villa flew retired of nan blocks past play – losing only 1 of their first 13 matches – but a hectic schedule punished them.

Past 5 seasons

The manager

“I’m for illustration a robot,” Emery said astatine nan extremity of past season, describing his laser-focus astatine training. The 53-year-old is demanding of himself, unit and players, a shot obsessive inspired by nan methods of teams arsenic expansive arsenic PSG and arsenic humble arsenic FC Andorra. It is not uncommon for him to study clips connected nan workout motorcycle aliases make notes connected nan rowing instrumentality but his workaholic quality has led him to publication books to power his emotions. Emery is nan mostly shareholder of fourth-tier Real Unión, nan Basque nine for whom his father, Juan, and grandfather, Antonio, played. His pièce de résistance remains his occurrence successful nan Europa League – he has won it on 4 occasions – and this play he has nan chance to make it five.

Off-field picture

Perhaps nan astir important portion of business was nan move to waste nan women’s squad to thief comply pinch nan league’s profitability and sustainability regulations.
The waste of a cardinal subordinate specified arsenic Martínez would liberate them successful nan marketplace but Villa are nether nary unit to waste prized assets. This summertime Francesco Calvo, antecedently of Juventus, replaced Chris Heck arsenic nan president of business operations, pinch Calvo’s semipermanent purpose to “make nan nine successful 360 degrees”. That helps explicate nan summation successful season-ticket prices, nan North Stand redevelopment which will return Villa Park’s capacity northbound of 50,000, nan concatenation of concerts, including Black Sabbath past month, and news that nan stadium will big Premiership rugby adjacent March.

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Last season

Star signing

It has been a slow summertime and while Boubacar Kamara was connected committee past season, news nan France midfielder penned a caller five-year statement was understandably greeted by supporters, well, conscionable for illustration a caller signing. The 25-year-old, persuaded to subordinate Villa successful 2022 by nan past manager, Steven Gerrard, aft leaving his hometown nine Marseille connected a free, is 1 of Emery’s cardinal cogs. He missed nan commencement of past play pinch an anterior cruciate ligament wounded but is fresh to deed nan crushed moving this time. Emery views Kamara arsenic indispensable and him staying put is simply a immense boost.

Stepping up

It will beryllium absorbing to spot if Zépiqueno Redmond, nan guardant whose sanction is supposedly inspired by nan protagonist of nan Brazilian movie City of God, tin make a mark. The 19-year-old started for Feyenoord astatine nan San Siro successful February, en way to nan Champions League past 16, but departed nan Eredivisie nine arsenic a free agent, presenting Villa pinch an opportunity they felt was excessively bully to walk up. Redmond scored doubly against England astatine nan European Under-19 Championship and while he missed nan pre-season travel to nan US done injury, he could beryllium a wildcard pinch Emery bladed connected strikers. The 18-year-old midfielder Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba – portion of nan FA Youth Cup-winning squad past play – did spell connected nan pre-season tour.

A large play for ...

The extremity of past play was alternatively unusual for Donyell Malen. Villa yet sewage their man erstwhile nan flying Dutchman, connected nan books of Arsenal arsenic a youngster, landed from Borussia Dortmund successful January. Villa tried and grounded to motion him nan erstwhile play but nan carrot of nan Champions League convinced him of nan £20m move, having been defeated successful nan competition’s showpiece six months earlier. Malen arrived but, 12 days later, pinch Uefa’s registration deadline looming, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were preferred to him and he was near retired of Villa’s European squad. Malen scored successful 3 successive Premier League wins successful April but was constricted to 2 top-flight starts, some earlier that goalscoring run. Surely much opportunities await.