Unai Emery lucky he hasn’t been sacked yet – but rotten Aston Villa numbers suggest he could be within weeks
Unai Emery is in serious trouble at Aston Villa after what has been a disastrous start to the season.
Villa drew 1-1 with Sunderland on Sunday, despite playing against 10 men for the majority of the game and taking the lead.
Matty Cash’s long-range strike marked Villa’s first Premier League goal of the season, but it would have Emery’s side ahead for just eight minutes before Wilson Isidor equalised.
Emery could be set to leave Villa before Christmas if results do not improve imminently, with his team currently sitting 18th in the league.
And there have been changes off the pitch, too, with Roberto Olabe set to replace Monchi as Villa’s president of football.
Unai Emery falls out with senior Aston Villa quartet
On Tuesday, Villa News exclusively revealed that Emery has fallen out with several Villa stars, including Morgan Rogers.
Villa News has learned that the England international has lost faith in his manager, and the same can be said of Tyrone Mings, Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins.
With Villa set to face Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday, it remains to be seen whether Emery will respond in his starting line-up selection.
- From 2021 to 2022, Tyrone Mings served as Aston Villa’s captain.
- Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins represent Villa’s two best-performing players last season, having contributed directly to 61 goals between them.
- Emi Martinez was named vice-captain at Villa Park in 2022, and was public about his desire to leave in the summer.
But the news will be worrying for the Spaniard nonetheless, with all four players carrying a significant presence within the dressing room.
Decision-makers at Villa Park will be particularly attentive to the situation of Rogers, who had been expected to sign a new contract to see off interest from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.
The 23-year-old’s doubts over his manager may well seep into decisions made about his future, however.
The midfielder represents Villa’s most valuable asset, and undoubtedly a key part of the future at Villa Park. Any situation that could throw that future into risk will surely carry considerable weight.
How did Aston Villa get into this mess?
As is evident from Villa’s lack of goals scored this season, many of their issues stem from their inability to create chances.
According to Opta, the Villans have produced just 3.85 expected goals (xG) this season – a Premier League low.
And when in a position to score, Villa have faltered nearly every single time. A conversion rate of just 1.92 per cent is staggeringly bad, but it is also true that good chances simply are not being created.
| Aston Villa | Vs Sunderland (A) |
| Possession | 71% |
| Shots | 12 |
| On target | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 488 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.78 |
| xG from open play | 0.51 |
| Touches in opposition box | 34 |
Villa’s 0.07 xG per shot is also the worst in the league, and suggests that Emery’s players are being forced to take shots from difficult positions because chances inside the box are so hard to come by.
The struggles were plainly obvious against Sunderland, when a strong line-up could muster just 0.78 xG and two shots on target in 57 minutes against 10 men, and with 71 per cent possession.
What is even more worrying is the fact that, according to Opta’s average team rating, the Villans actually had the easiest opening five fixtures of any team in the Premier League.
Unai Emery laughs off speculation – but this isn’t a joke
When asked about his commitment to Villa in Wednesday’s press conference, Emery laughed out loud.
But the situation at Villa Park is no laughing matter. The Spaniard’s job hangs in the balance, and the coming games will be crucial.
In that respect, Emery will not be happy to hear that, according to Opta’s model, Villa face the third most difficult next five games of all Premier League teams.
Matches against Tottenham, Manchester City, and Liverpool in the back of the five-game run carry the bulk of that difficulty, making games against Fulham and Burnley at Villa Park absolutely vital.
Failure to win in either of those would leave the Villans walking into a three-game minefield, having already lost a limb or two.
Then, and surely then, would Nassef Sawiris be forced into a decision that appears to have some sense of inevitability around it already.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247