‘Emery prayers answered’ as Aston Villa handed welcome Europa League boost
Aston Villa have learned the path they will take in the Premier League this season.
The fixtures for the upcoming campaign have now been released, with the Villans kicking off the year with a home clash against Newcastle United.
This will be the first time the Villa Park faithful have witnessed an opening day clash in the top tier for 15 years, last facing West Ham back in 2010.
Although the prospect of an opening home match in the top division will be positive for Unai Emery, it is news about the Europa League which will have piqued his interest.
Aston Villa delight emerges after Premier League fixture release
Last season ended in frustrating fashion for the B6 club as a defeat on the final day against Manchester United resulted in a sixth-place finish.
That meant no Champions League football in the Midlands, after an excellent campaign last time around in Europe’s elite competition.
Although wins against the likes of Bayern Munich and PSG will live long in the memory of supporters, the Premier League form certainly took a hit as a result.
In fixtures after European action, Emery’s side won just one of their eight attempts, losing four and securing a point in three.
That is part of the reason that a top-five place slipped out of their grasp, regardless of any poor officiating at Old Trafford.
With that being said, the Villans can be delighted to learn that, as it stands, six of the eight games after Europa League football will be at home, while another will have no fixture.
This can only be seen as a boost, especially given that at Villa Park last season, just one league defeat was registered in B6 last time around.
Aston Villa dealt Europa League boost
The Europa League certainly represents an excellent opportunity for silverware in B6, especially looking at Tottenham’s success in the competition.
With that being said, the Lilywhites’ league form saw them fall to 17th and the sacking of Ange Postecoglou, something that Villa can’t afford to replicate.
| Position | Club | Goal difference | Points |
| 17. | Tottenham | -1 | 38 |
| 18. | Ipswich Town | -47 | 25 |
| 19. | Leicester City | -46 | 22 |
| 20. | Southampton | -60 | 12 |
As a result, Emery has to now work to make sure that his squad is ready to perform on all fronts and continue their excellent run of home form.
This will be down to Monchi and Co. to build a side that can cope with the physical demands and be good enough to secure a Champions League finish.