Unai Emery’s genius on full display at Aston Villa as Premier League-leading stat emerges
Unai Emery is receiving all the praise for Aston Villa’s ridiculous run of form at the moment.
Ollie Watkins scored a second-half brace on Saturday as Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, moving them back within three points of league leaders Arsenal.
The Midlands outfit have now won 11 straight games across all competitions, and 12 of their last 13 in the Premier League.
Emery was once again the hero for Villa in West London, making a key in-game decision that inspired the dramatic comeback.
Aston Villa substitutes lead the way in Premier League
Villa were completely outplayed in the first half against Chelsea, and went 1-0 down when Reece James’ corner took a deflection off Joao Pedro before finding the back of the net.
Emery’s side failed to improve immediately after the break, with the Spaniard deciding to make a triple substitution on the hour mark.
Watkins, Jadon Sancho and Amadou Onana came on for Emi Buendia, Donyell Malen, and John McGinn, and the changes had an immediate impact.
Just three minutes after being introduced, Watkins fired Villa level, before the England international secured all three points with a late header.
The 29-year-old’s brace means that Aston Villa have now scored eight top-flight goals this season via substitute, and no other Premier League side has more.
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Unai Emery pulls off another masterstroke vs Chelsea
Watkins was magnificent during his 30-minute cameo against Chelsea, and it is yet another example of Emery’s exceptional in-game management.
Not only did the centre-forward find the back of the net twice, but he also had four shots on target and seven touches in the opposition box.
| Stats vs Chelsea | Ollie Watkins |
| Goals | 2 |
| Shots | 4 |
| Shots on Target | 4 |
| Touches in opposition box | 7 |
| Successful dribbles | 2/3 |
Sancho also had an impact off the bench, as did Onana, with Emery’s triple substitution on the hour mark turning the game completely on its head.
The Villa boss consistently makes the right decisions at the right times, meaning that even when his side are being dominated, they still have a chance of coming away with all three points.
With Emery in charge, the Midlands outfit cannot be discounted from the Premier League title race.
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