When the word “genius” was uttered live on air at Villa Park, no one batted an eye. It’s a commendation that should be used sparingly. Yet, when it’s Unai Emery that praise is bestowed upon, no one can object.
The Basque coach is continuing to work miracles in the West Midlands, as evidenced by Saturday’s 2-1 win over Manchester City, when Aston Villa inflicted the first domestic defeat of the Enzo Maresca era.
“He [Emery] is just a tactical genius. Especially against City at our place, I think over the last few years, we’ve been really good,” Matty Cash told TNT Sports, after Villa secured a fourth straight home win over City.
Even by the high standards Emery has set, this was a memorable occasion, as the wind and rain whipped Villa fans into a frenzy for the visit of the condemned league leaders.
With City flying high, and having earned a 3-0 win at Anfield on their last travels, there may have been a presumption this would be a straightforward away victory. After all, Villa, prior to Saturday, were yet to win a home league game in a season that started so haphazardly.
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Tactical genius Unai Emery
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But that ignores Emery’s transformative powers and the team’s recent resurgence. Sixty-two days had elapsed between the visit of City and Villa’s disastrous 4-0 opening-weekend loss at Brighton when the uncertain summer bled into the on-field performance.
Some even speculated that, under Emery, Villa had peaked. After losing so many key players it would be impossible to compete at the same level. Few think that now, of course.
What has changed?
Villa’s upturn all began with the closing of the transfer window. Finally, Emery knew which players he had at his disposal, without the threat of further outgoings.
In the immediate weeks that followed, the Villa boss relied on those more accustomed to his tactical demands. Only two of the 10 new signings started at Hull City after the window shut, but by the trip to Tottenham Hotspur before the international break, that number had increased to six.
Emery’s slow integration afforded the players time to absorb his complex instructions and demands. He also relied on those more versed in his ways to help guide the new arrivals. The experienced Tyrone Mings recently spoke of “acting as a bridge between old and new”, while the influence of the long-serving Cash, John McGinn, Emiliano Buendia and Boubacar Kamara has been heavily relied on.
“It feels like the group has been oxygenated,” added Mings. “Everybody is now looking forward and excited about what we can do with this group.”
Indeed, the refreshed squad has been a stimulant for Emery, who admitted earlier this month he feels re-energised by the new arrivals. The 54-year-old doesn’t fall back on excuses; he didn’t anticipate losing so many trusted squad members in the summer, but that has not dampened his spirits.
Throughout the tumultuous start to the season, Emery always cut a composed figure. Each press conference focused on the same theme: the progression of his new-look side.
That’s more than simply getting his summer signings up to speed. Emery has elicited improvements from Mings, Victor Lindelof and Ross Barkley, players who were on the margins last term, but have proved vitally important in this transitional time.
Simple as it may seem, extra hours and graft on the training ground have been crucial in Villa’s revival, with a three-week international break proving particularly useful.
The first win came at Club Brugge on 8th September. Six more against Coventry City, Tottenham, Fenerbahce, Newcastle, Viking and Manchester City have followed. With each, momentum has grown.
During that run, the attacking numbers, boosted by Nicolas Jackson’s swift acclimatisation, have steadily improved. After mustering just one shot on target in the first three league games, Villa have now managed 20 goals across the last seven in all competitions.
Likewise, the leaky defence has looked more solid of late, with just two goals conceded in the last four games, having shipped 14 in the first eight outings.
Tactical overhaul
Personnel changes have inevitably meant an alteration in Emery’s tactics. Given so many of the Europa League-winning side were signed during Dean Smith’s reign, there’s a feeling at Villa that this, more than ever, is a team shaped in Emery’s image.
He added more agile, penetrative wingers in Ibrahim Mbaye and Alejandro Garnacho, plus Alysson, who joined in January. All three are direct dribblers, providing Villa with a more clinical transitional threat.
That was underlined by the winning goal against City, as Mbaye surged down the right and cut the ball back for Jackson to finish.
Aligning a more vertical component with Emery’s staple approach of midfield control to bait the opposition press has made Villa’s system more multi-functional. The Premier League’s best strategist has greater room to adapt depending on the opposition.
“He [Emery] has always got a new plan for something. He’s always coming up with new ideas,” noted Cash after the City win.
Amid the game-specific alterations, there has been a clear shift towards more direct passing. Arsenal were the only side to play fewer long passes than Villa last season, but this campaign they have nudged up to 15th in that area.
Villa are typically performing better with less of the ball. They overcame City and Spurs with around a third of possession, but failed to beat Brentford and Forest after amassing over 50 percent of possession.
Zion Suzuki’s signing has been key in this deviation. The goalkeeper has quickly earned a reputation as the league’s most technically proficient with the ball, and his passing range is unmatched. This was epitomised in September’s win over Spurs, when Suzuki’s long ball to Jackson resulted in a goal.
The pair were Villa’s most important summer signings. There was no margin for error with a new goalkeeper and striker, and, unlike the other new recruits, neither Suzuki nor Jackson were afforded a bedding-in period.
The latter was derided at Chelsea, but is thriving once again under Emery’s guidance. He has now netted six in as many games.
Jackson offers more than just goals, though. His movement and physicality have revolutionised Villa’s attacking patterns. The forward’s penchant for drifting wide or into deeper areas allows midfielders to bypass him, creating a more fluid front line.
There’s a growing belief he is an upgrade on Villa’s record league scorer, Ollie Watkins, who lacked Jackson’s hold-up play and presence as a target man. With a greater reliance on man-to-man marking across the league, Jackson’s ability to win such a high proportion of his individual duels is imperative for Villa’s fortunes. On Saturday, a beleaguered Marc Guehi had to be withdrawn at half-time after being bullied by Jackson for 45 minutes.
A word of warning
Evidently, Villa have ironed out those early-season flaws and are on the right track. But assuming this young side have suddenly sussed the Premier League would be unwise.
Opponents will adjust and setbacks are inevitable, while it shouldn’t be overlooked that several of the recent wins have come against weaker opposition. As Emery himself noted before City, the season is less than a quarter of the way though. “We can speak about it in six months, and I can tell you [if] we are better.”
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He went on to produce a substantial list of areas Villa still need to work on, which included: positioning, pressing, defending their own box and winning individual duels. “This is a lot of things to improve. Still [there’s] more to do.”
But with Emery at the helm, don’t bet against Villa mastering those areas before the season’s conclusion. They have a genius coach, after all.