In the 2023-24 Premier League season, a dark horse was "born":
With 35 points from 16 games, they are only two points behind Liverpool at the top of the table and third in the leaguescored 35 goals, only one less than Liverpool and Manchester City;In their last two Premier League games, they beat Manchester City 1-0 and Arsenal 1-0.
The driver of this dark horse has won 15 consecutive Premier League home games - only Ferguson, Mancini, Klopp and Pep Guardiola have done it in the history of the Premier League. The above four famous coaches have all won the Premier League championship trophy.
The big dark horse is Villa, and the driver is 51-year-old Emery.
Villa's 403-day metamorphosis: from the relegation zone to the third in the Premier League, impacting the 41-year dream
Before Unai Emery, Villa's manager was Liverpool's legendary captain Steven Gerrard. In November 2021, Steven Gerrard took over from Dean Smith as Villa manager. However, 343 days later, on October 20, 2022, Gerrard was fired by Villa.
Gerald was left with a mess. In the 11th round of the 2022-23 Premier League season, Villa lost 0-3 to Fulham, with 2 wins, 3 draws and 6 losses in 11 rounds, only 9 points, hovering near the relegation zone.
After Villa sacked Steven Gerrard, assistant coach Danks was temporarily in charge. Ten days later, Villa made a big announcement: Unai Emery returned to the Premier League as Villa manager.
This is the real knife snatching love - Emery did a good job in Villarreal, and the thirsty Vera directly threw 6 million euros in compensation and forcibly poached Emery. Villa have signed Unai Emery to a five-year contract with an annual salary of €7 million.
In 403 days since Emery took office, the Spanish coach has taken Villa to new heights: in the 2023-24 Premier League, Villa are ranked 7th;In the 2023-24 season, Villa is in 3rd place after 16 rounds
Villa fans dream of the Champions League: the last time they played in the Champions League was in the distant 1982-83 season. If they finish in the top four of the Premier League in troubled times and qualify for next season's Champions League, Villa will be a dream come true after 41 years.
Hanging Manchester City's old master: Unai Emery creates the number one dark horse
In just 3 days, Emery's villa is impressive:
Premier League No. 1 Villa beat Manchester City 1-0 at home. In this Premier League battle, Villa had an absolute advantage: Manchester City had only two shots on goal, while Villa had 22 shots and seven on target. Leon Bailey scored the final blow and Villa took all three points.
The British media "The Independent" exclaimed that Villa destroyed Manchester City!Who would have thought that Manchester City, as the three-time champion, would not be able to touch the ball, create opportunities, and be passive all over the field?Pep Guardiola has been in the Premier League for seven years, and it is rare for this kind of scene to happen.
In the 16th round of the Premier League, Villa defeated Arsenal 1-0 at home, and coach Unai Emery and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez teamed up to pull the old owner Arsenal from the top of the table. Villa's third place in the Premier League is more secure, which also makes the Premier League title race more suspenseful.
A manager like Unai Emery is not suitable for an "aircraft carrier" - he did not succeed in Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, but in Sevilla and Villarreal, he won the Europa League in succession. A stage like Villa is perfect for Emery to show himself.
This Villa team has a distinct Emery style: high defense, lightning transitions, and quick counter-attacks.
To create a high-post defensive strategy, Unai Emery needs to bring in a play-oriented central defender. Villa threw money at it without ambiguity, taking Pau Torres for 35 million euros. As a rare left-footed centre-back in football, Pau Torres quickly became the core of the defence, and Villa created a smooth passing system under the premise of both fighting and confrontation.
The quick transition between attack and defense is Villa's specialty. Diaby, McGinn and Leon Bailey are all masters of quick counter-attacks. In the 1-0 win over Arsenal, Villa fought back quickly, Leon Bailey advanced with the ball, crossed, McGinn inserted, and scored in a 360-degree turn. The whole counterattack process was clear and hearty.
Under Unai Emery, the Villa players played at a high level. The value of the German transfer is valued, and the total value of the Villa team is 6300 million euros, 1 more than last season200 million euros. Sporting director Monchi + coach Unai Emery's configuration, Villa's dream is not only Europe, but also the trophy.
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