The masterclass from Unai Emery gave Aston Villa another victory on the road to New Year. Their latest win against Chelsea was their 11th consecutive victory in the Premier League. After last season’s bad performance, Unai Emery has perfectly made a comeback and is leading his team towards a direct Champions League spot. The players have lived up to their fans’ expectations. Not only have their performances increased, but also their overall player development has grown a lot. It would be interesting to see how Unai Emery manages the club after making a huge impact.
Key moments from Villa vs Chelsea under Unai Emery
Enzo Maresca surprisingly started a back four of Cucurella, Badiashile, Chalobah, and Reece James. His change surprised the fans and the pundits. The match was very intense since the first minute of the game. Chelsea were looking dominant as they had most of the possession in the opening 15 minutes. Garnacho and Cucurella were dominating the left flank, providing crosses inside the box looking for a blue shirt. The Argentine goalkeeper had the better of the attackers, as he was up to the mark so far. In the 36th minute, Reece James delivered a teasing corner, and the ball unexpectedly went in after bouncing off Joao Pedro. The fans erupted as the home side scored the first goal. Since then, Unai Emery’s team has completely dominated the possession but couldn’t find the back of the net. Robert Sanchez made some big saves for the London side and kept them ahead. In the 63rd minute, Morgan Rogers delivered an extraordinary ball in for Watkins, which went in after bouncing off Sanchez. Soon after, Watkins sealed the victory for Unai Emery’s side as he scored from a corner.
Reasons behind the success of Aston Villa under Emery
Last season Aston Villa finished 6th in the Premier League after making a very slow start. According to pundits and journalists, Villa’s poor performance was due to the tight fixtures. They figured out that most of the players were new to the Champions League and failed to keep up with the pace. Although this season the whole perspective changed. Unai Emery changed the tactics, allowing the players to show their individual brilliance on the pitch. The tactical change worked off, as Villa are currently third in both the Premier League and the Europa League. The club’s management also did an excellent job, as they signed several young talented players. One of their best works is keeping the World Cup winner Emi Martinez in the goal despite being targeted by United. Emi Marinez is playing his 6th season with the club and is one of the club’s key players. Unai Emery said in an interview that the team is ready to win against big clubs. The players have done just that, as they have already beaten Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs, and others. Emery now needs to continue the momentum as they play against Arteta’s Arsenal next.
Fan’s reaction
The fans are beyond excited with Unai Emery’s incredible run. Villa fans think they are now a worthy contender for this season’s Premier League title. Social media is full of highlights of Villa and talks about the Spanish manager Unai Emery. The fans are confident as their team faces the league leaders, Arsenal, next. Overall there is a positive atmosphere over the St. James Park.
Author’s insight
From an author’s point of view, Unai Emery has done a wonderful job with the club. He has once again given the glory days of Aston Villa to the fans.
