12th in the Premier League 

©TM/IMAGO

What Unai Emery has done since taking the reins at Aston Villa in November 2022 has been nothing short of sensational. When he took over, the club were 16th in the Premier League table and had won just two of their previous 11 matches. The Spaniard led them to a seventh place finish that campaign (2022/23), before breaking the hierarchy of the top four last season to earn Villa fourth spot and Champions League football this term. Not even the wildest idealist of an Aston Villa fan could have expected all that when Emery arrived. And even this season, Emery has overseen famous nights that will live long in the memory of the Villa faithful, such as their shock 1-0 win against German giants Bayern Munich at Villa Park back in October.

However, these Champions League commitments are starting to take their toll on Emery’s side. Juggling Champions League and Premier League football was always going to be tough for a team that hadn’t played in Europe’s top club competition since the 1980s. They had the European commitments of the Europa Conference League the previous season, but playing in the Champions League is a whole new level. After starting the season strongly, and still sitting healthily in ninth place in the ‘league phase’ table of the Champions League, their domestic form has begun to take a hiding. Villa are currently 12th in the Premier League table, and from their five league matches off the back of European games, they have taken just five points. They will hope to turn the tide against Brentford at Villa Park this Wednesday.

Why Aston Villa are struggling to juggle Premier League & Champions League

After an excellent start to the campaign, where they lost just one of their opening nine Premier League games alongside winning their opening three matches in the Champions League, it is now zero victories in eight games in all competitions since October 22. It’s the worst run of form during Emery’s time in charge at the club. “We are focusing on how we can improve,” Emery recently said. “I am happy [with] how we are doing this season. Our demands increase progressively and we are being very demanding in every position we are facing, but we have to try to keep balance.” There’s no doubt results and performances have dipped.

In the graphic above we can see the drop off in Aston Villa’s league form compared to last season. Last term after 13 match-days Villa had 28 points and were sitting in fourth. This campaign they are all the way down in 12th with just 19 points. They had scored 12 goals more by this stage of last season, whilst also conceding four goals less. When looking for reasons behind Emery’s team’s drop off, the commitment of Champions League football is probably the most obvious cause. Emery has become renowned for his record in European football, and has always prioritised it. He has won the Europa League more than any other manager (four times), and even made it to the Champions League final with Villarreal in 2021/22.

Another explanation behind Villa’s demise in form could come down to a huge change in personnel over the summer. The club brought in eight new permanent signings for a combined total of €176.2m, whilst selling six players permanently for a combined €145m. Of those departures, included were Moussa Diaby (€60m to Al-Ittihad) and Douglas Luiz (€51.5m to Juventus) who were both key components in Villa’s incredible season last term. Whilst replacements were brought in, midfielder Amadou Onana is the only player who has really settled into Emery’s system thus far.

In terms of the players that did stay, last season’s star players have failed to replicate the form and consistency of the previous campaign. In the Premier League last term, only Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (33) got more combined goals and assists than Villa striker Ollie Watkins’ 32. He was averaging a direct goal contribution every 101 minutes in the league. This season that figure has dropped to a goal or assist every 128 minutes. Whilst that’s still a very decent return, Watkins has failed to show the consistent poise and prowess that saw him be one of the Premier League best performers last season.

What Emery has done with Villa has been monumental, and in many ways he has now become a victim of his own success, with expectations heightened. The acceleration of Villa’s rise has been rapid, and right now they are failing to keep up. As we enter the busy festive football schedule, their squad is going to be tested even further, and some of Aston Villa’s fringe players will need to start stepping up. Villa’s recent achievements should not be downplayed, but Emery will need to find a way to get the balance right between domestic and European competition.