After confirmation of Unai Emery’s contract extension, hopes of seeing much-desired success and leaving a lasting Aston Villa legacy emerge as the overwhelming feelings.
The Basque coach has had a transformative impact on the club since he was appointed in October 2022, taking us from the depths of the Premier League standings and facing the potential threat of relegation under his predecessor Steven Gerrard, to qualifying for Europe within seven months.
READ MORE: ‘We are thrilled’ – Villa chairman reveals delight over Emery extension
For some, it might have been seen as a temporary lift that couldn’t be sustained, but how wrong both Emery and the Villa squad have proven them to be so far this season.
The job isn’t yet done as we look to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League, and subsequently qualify for the Champions League, as well as targeting silverware through the Europa Conference League as we look forward to a semi-final tie next month.
In 59 league games since Emery took charge, Villa have picked up 115 points and have a +35 goal difference, as shown in the Sky Sports graphic below. Only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have accumulated a higher points tally in that same period.
Club records have continued to tumble throughout his tenure thus far, while the Spaniard sits top amongst the Villa managers with the most points per game, as he currently averages 1.95.
Only Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool have won more points than Aston Villa since Unai Emery took over 📈 pic.twitter.com/eVkk4JeVbV
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 23, 2024
It outlines the magnificent job that Emery has done over the past 18 months, but it only tells part of a remarkable story that we’ve seen unfold before us.
Beyond the results, Emery has inspired and influenced our progression as both individuals and as a collective in terms of improving the performance level and making us more consistent. He has instilled a winning mentality and culture as well as a style and structure of football that is both effective and entertaining.
Further, the connection he has built between himself and the fanbase, and through our results his influence on the backing the supporters give the team, is another special element of what he’s brought to the club in a relatively short period of time.
With the infrastructure and support team around him, constructed by the owners who have given him their full backing in this project, it’s a brilliant set-up that has delivered results, and will hopefully now show longevity in terms of its success.
Emery will hopefully go on to see out his contract until 2027, but it’s also hoped that he’s still at Villa well beyond that as he builds something very special at the club and leaves a lasting legacy. The move on both sides to extend shows the belief in the project and the shared long-term vision of where this journey takes us.
It was evident quite early on that the Spaniard just gets ‘it’ in terms of Villa as a club. With his future secured to also fend off potential interested parties amid growing speculation, we’ll hopefully be able to look forward to many more years of Emery at the helm in what promises to be a memorable time in the club’s history.
At his unveiling press conference, Emery laid out his main objectives at Villa. One was to play in Europe, another was to win a trophy and the other was a more all-encompassing one of being competitive, demanding and ambitious. He’s delivering on those thus far, and we’ll hopefully exceed those expectations and hopes over time.
More to come. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/UywGITEWUy
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 23, 2024
Take that Munich, Barca, Man U., Liverpool and all the rest of you Villa wanna bes.