Unai Emery

Arsenal continued their winning streak by defeating Aston Villa in Gameweek 19 of the 2025/2026 Premier League season. With this victory at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners have held onto top spot in the table. From Aston Villa’s perspective, this result brought their winning run to an end. However, their...

Chelsea were defeated by Aston Villa 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 18 of the 2025/2026 Premier League season. It was a game of two halves, where Chelsea controlled the first 45 minutes, having a lion’s share of ball possession (71%). They had 10 shots compared to none from their opponents, out...

Aston Villa hosted Manchester United at Villa Park and were able to beat the Red Devils with a 2-1 final score. Aston Villa continue to climb the Premier League standings thanks to this win, now holding third place with 36 points, only three points behind the top team. Unai Emery's team are...

Aston Villa entered the 2025/2026 campaign with a noticeably unstable rhythm, struggling to impose their identity during the opening weeks despite the continuity under Unai Emery. As the season unfolded, the team experienced a clear tactical reawakening, evolving into one of the Premier League’s most balanced and tactically adaptable sides....

Aston Villa hosted Bournemouth for Gameweek 11 of the Premier League, and the game ended with a huge 4-0 win for the hosts against one of the in-form teams to start the season. This win saw the Villans climb to sixth, with 18 points, equal to Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United,...

Liverpool finally ended their 4 game Premier League losing streak, securing a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Anfield in gameweek 10 of the 2025/2026 EPL season. Both sides were level on 15 points entering the game. However, their respective form this season has been in stark contrast. The Reds...

Aston Villa defeated Manchester City by a slender margin of 1-0 in round 9 of the 2025/2026 Premier League. The result saw Unai Emery's Villa close the points gap to just one, leaving City in fifth place. Meanwhile, the hosts are now in eighth, just behind Liverpool on goal difference....

Tottenham Hotspur will face Aston Villa on Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for game week eight of the Premier League. It will be a good opportunity for Spurs to continue their journey to the top spots. They have been climbing up the standings to reach third place with 14...

Since the arrival of Unai Emery, Aston Villa has undergone a complete transformation.  When Emery was appointed, the club was in 16th place under Steven Gerrard, while Dean Smith’s tenure before that had also ended in decline.  Emery immediately altered the direction of travel, leading Villa to seventh, fourth, and...

As the dust settles on the 2024/2025 Premier League season, the focus naturally shifts toward the lessons learned and what they might mean heading into the 2025/2026 EPL campaign. While headlines often revolve around goal scorers and playmakers, the foundation of any successful side remains defensive structure. In a fast-paced...

Marcus Rashford’s loan to Barcelona in the summer of 2025 represents more than just a high-profile transfer; it is, in many ways, a final attempt to reignite a career that once promised world-class heights. After struggling for rhythm and consistency during the latter stages of his Manchester United tenure, followed...

Defending crosses is one of the most detailed tactical analysis topics, with numerous differences between different teams and coaches' ideas. The details of defending crosses begin with each defender's ability to either mark an attacker or cover a specific space. It differs from defending with either four or five defenders due to the...

Recently, set-piece analysis has evolved rapidly as teams have begun to recognise the importance of capitalising on every detail during the game. However, there is room to develop as a field in football analysis. One of the most interesting aspects is how teams have begun to manipulate the opponent by...

The act of receiving the ball to feet has become almost second nature. From grassroots football to the professional elite, this pass-to-feet dynamic has evolved into the base unit of build-up play. In this tactical analysis, we will examine how this stylistic evolution is reshaping attacking behaviour across modern systems....

Morgan Rogers is an English talent who climbed the ranks of the England academy system, starting from West Bromwich Albion before making a £4.4m transfer from the U18 West Brom team to the U23 Manchester City team. It's a hefty price to pay for a youngster who hasn’t played in...

Despite very nearly completing a dramatic comeback, Aston Villa’s 2024/2025 UEFA Champions League journey has officially come to an end versus Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain. Les Parisiens are increasingly looking like strong contenders for this season’s European Cup but face stiff competition in the next round from an Arsenal side...

The UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa was a fascinating encounter of contrasting tactical philosophies between 2 Spanish managers, Luis Enrique vs Unai Emery. Luis Enrique's PSG utilised a fluid and adaptable 4-3-3 setup, which was a testament to their quality. In contrast, Unai...

Liverpool will almost certainly be in next season’s UEFA Champions League mix (with only mathematics preventing that from being a definite) and look highly likely to be joined by Arsenal. However, the race to secure the final two guaranteed places (and potentially any additional spots, should England maintain its strong...

The competition intensifies on all fronts in the Premier League over time as we gradually approach the finish line. The competition we're referring to is not only for the title or relegation but also for qualification to European competitions. It’s enough to know that the gap between fourth place and...

These are heady days for Aston Villa fans. Their team currently sits eighth in the Premier League. On their return to Europe's premier competition, they are through to the last 16 of the Champions League after a top-eight finish in the table (thereby avoiding the play-off round). They also advanced...