View: Unai Emery can overturn rotten Pep Guardiola record and lead Aston Villa to victory over Manchester City
Aston Villa face the toughest proposition in the Premier League when they travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City this Sunday (12 February), and Unai Emery will need to be at his very best to mastermind a result.
The Villans arrive into the encounter on the back of a painful 4-2 defeat to Leicester City, in which several comical defensive errors gifted the Foxes all three points at Villa Park.
Despite the frustrating nature of the loss, the Spaniard still holds a stellar record since taking over the reins from Steven Gerrard in mid-October, having won five of his opening eight games in charge.
The turnaround in fortunes sees Villa sit just a point off Liverpool in tenth and just six points off Brighton in sixth position in the Premier League table. However, a tough run of games in the next fortnight could well determine whether Emery will be looking behind his shoulder at those teams beneath him or leading an unlikely charge for European football.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, The Atheltic’s Dan Bardell admitted he thought Emery could overturn his dreadful record against Pep Guardiola and look to nick a result against the Premier League champions.
He said: “I am sure Emery will have a specific plan for the Manchester City game this weekend.
He has gone to big teams previously in his career with Villarreal and Sevilla and won games by having a specific tactical plan, however, he has played Pep [Guardiola] 12 times in his managerial career and has drawn four and lost eight.
“He’s a talented manager in that environment in getting the best out of a team that’s not expected to go somewhere and get a result, so if Villa treat it like a one-off game, they can go there and come back with some points.“
A common theme under Emery since arriving in the West Midlands has been the increased importance placed on the counter-attack and Villa’s potency when breaking into the final third.
Already the 52-year-old has overseen victories against Manchester United, Spurs and Brighton – all of whom dominated the bulk of possession throughout the game.
In a 4-4-2 formation that has Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins up front, Villa have the capabilities to catch any team in the league unawares with a rapid break. Watkins, in particular, has proven himself to be a thorn in the side for Champions League-chasing sides, famously netting a hattrick in the 7-2 demolition of Liverpool and also scoring notable goals against the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.
On the forward’s potential impact, Bardell added: “Ollie Watkins always performs in these games away against the bigger teams. He can be a real handful and cause these top teams some real issues.
“He has actually scored against every one of the big-six, but the Etihad is the only ground he is yet to score at from these teams.
“But usually, he can disrupt a big-six team with his pressing and pace, so Villa have definitely got a chance.”
With the tough challenge this weekend followed by a yet more imposing test against Mikel Arteta’s flying Arsenal side, the coming weeks will be a brilliant marker for Villa’s growth under Emery so far.
In other Aston Villa news, Carla Ward must find a contingency plan in case Rachel Daly gets injured for her women’s side this season.