Unai Emery in line to join elite list of Aston Villa managers with victory over Newcastle United
Premier League action is taking the backseat for now, as Unai Emery and Aston Villa gear up to face Newcastle in the FA Cup.
After last season’s heartbreak in the semi-finals, the Villa manager will be looking to go one step further in England’s premier cup competition.
Emery has recently avoided unwanted Aston Villa history, but he could be about to enter the history books for all the right reasons at Villa Park against Newcastle.
However, Emery will have to be without Matty Cash, as the Polish international has picked up an injury ahead of the game.
Unai Emery is on the cusp of a century of wins at Aston Villa
Emery has done a remarkable job at Villa Park over the last few seasons, and now he looks on course to put the Birmingham-based club into the Champions League.
The Spaniard’s side are currently sitting in third place and have built a six-point safety cushion within the top five.
Now, attentions will shift to cup competition, with the FA Cup fourth round taking place this weekend.
When Aston Villa host Newcastle, Emery will be seeking a huge milestone in his career at the Premier League club.
If Villa beat the Geordies, it would mark a century of wins for the Spanish manager.
Emery would then only join a few men that have achieved that feat.
Ron Saunders ended his time as Aston Villa manager with 181 wins, with Joe Mercier on 119. Victory on Saturday would place Emery within that elite club of centurions.
What is Emery’s win percentage at Aston Villa?
When it comes to Emery’s time at Aston Villa so far, his win percentage is quite impressive. Since joining in 2022, his win rate stands at 56.25 per cent.
In fact, Emery is currently enjoying one of the best phases of his career, as he has more points per game at Aston Villa than at any of his previous clubs besides PSG, according to Sofascore.
| Club | Points per game |
| Aston Villa | 1.86 |
| Villarreal | 1.78 |
| Arsenal | 1.85 |
| PSG | 2.42 |
| Sevilla | 1.78 |
| Spartak Moscow | 1.5 |
| Valencia | 1.72 |
| Almeria | 1.62 |
In modern history, the Aston Villa man will go down as one of their great managers, but if he can bring home a trophy, he could be further cemented.
This weekend’s FA Cup match proposes another crack at silverware, and as a Europa League specialist, he’ll be eyeing success in that competition as well.
At the beginning of the season, the supercomputer predicted Aston Villa to win the Europa League.