Unai Emery makes Aston Villa history in stunning new reveal vs Leeds United
Unai Emery made managerial history in Aston Villa’s win over Leeds United on Sunday.
Villa overcame a one-goal deficit against Leeds in a 2-1 victory at Elland Road in the Premier League on 23 November.
It was a second-half masterclass from Emery where Morgan Rogers became Villa’s saviour on the afternoon in West Yorkshire.
Boubacar Kamara’s performance against Leeds went under the radar while Donyell Malen was the perfect Emery substitute.
It was a well-deserved three points for the Villans, even if it took a little work to get there in the end.
Unai Emery surpasses John Gregory in historical feat
Villa‘s victory over Leeds saw Emery become the third Villa manager to win 60 games in the Premier League, according to Aston Villa Statto on 23 November.
He needs just one more win to equal John Gregory at Martin O’Neill’s tally of 61 victories.
Meanwhile, the current Villans manager has reached this feat in 34 fewer games than Gregory and 36 fewer matches than O’Neill.
This is no doubt an impressive feat for Emery, who only a couple of months ago went five straight games in the Premier League without a win.
Now provisionally fourth in the league after 12 games played, another run in the UEFA Champions League already looks possible for the Villans next season.
Second-class masterclass from Aston Villa?
While Emery’s substitutions no doubt tipped the scales in Villa’s favour, the Spanish manager’s 60th Villa win was more luck and individual brilliance than anything else.
Leeds were dominant in the second half:
- The Whites held 51 per cent possession compared to Villa’s 49 per cent
- Leeds created two big chances
- Villa did not create a single one
Daniel Farke’s side also took more shots while the Villans generated more expected goals, according to Sofascore. This was the defining factor.
Moreover, the Whites were the better defensive team:
- Leeds won 52 per cent of their duels compared to Villa’s 48 per cent
- They won 55 per cent of their ground duels
- Villa won just 45 per cent of their ground duels
Furthermore, the Whites won 64 per cent of their tackles while Villa won 56 per cent. Their opponents also made more interceptions and recoveries.
But at the end of the day, football is about finding the back of the net, and Villa did that in abundance.
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