When Unai Emery took over at Aston Villa in November of 2022, they were 14th and just 3 points above the relegation zone.
They won 15 of their remaining league games to finish 7th & qualify for the UEFA Conference, from there they finished 4th in the 2023/24 season, making it into the Champions League whilst simultaneously reaching the Conference League semi-finals.
Last season, they made it to a Champions League quarter-final where they were pitted against Luis Enrique’s eventual winners PSG, only losing 5-4 on aggregate after a 3-2 second leg victory at Villa Park. They finished 6th in the Premier League, missing out on Champions League football on goal difference alone, whilst also making it to an FA Cup semi-final where they were beaten by eventual winners Crystal Palace.
This season, they are sat 4th in the Premier League with one game still to play, having guaranteed their place in next season’s Champions League with a win over Liverpool prior to the final weekend. They’ve also won the Europa League with a dominant performance over Freiburg in the final, making it five Europa Leagues triumphs for Unai Emery in just 12 years at three different clubs.
The journey he has taken them on across his 3.5 years in charge is ridiculous.
Thanks everyone for the support during the season. All of
You. A success and a lesson….Results can come and go but it is on you how to deal with it. After a setback must come the mentality, consistency, the hard work and the faith. Don’t stop believing. Mainly if you have Unai Emery and this group of players. One year ago👇🏻
🚨 Emi Martínez: “Today I broke my finger during the warm-up and for me, every bad thing brings something good. I’ve done this my whole life and I’ll keep doing it.
"Should I be worried? Well, I’ve never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I’m proud to defend Aston Villa.”