Credit: Imago

James Barker

Thu 26 March 2026 19:10, UK

Aston Villa‘s last top four finish in the Premier League came in 2023-24, as Unai Emery’s current team look to emulate that success in the final weeks of this season.

The Villans are currently sitting fourth in the top flight table, five points ahead of their nearest top four rivals Liverpool in fifth on 49 points respectively.

Emery’s side were in danger of totally petering out in the final months of this season, having been unable to keep pace in the Premier League title race.

However, a much-needed win over West Ham last time out halted a run of four games without a league win, and has put their top four destiny firmly back in their own hands.

So, with seven league games to play this season, how do Villa’s current team of Champions League qualification hopefuls stack up against the 2023-24 side that finished fourth?

How do Aston Villa’s 2023-24 and 2025-26 teams compare?

Emery has work to do during the international break, as although there is now a healthy gap to fifth, Aston Villa haven’t locked up a top four finish just yet.

It’s been an enjoyable and frustrating season for many Villa fans, with an undeniable disappointment lingering over how Emery’s team fell away in the title race, but still an understanding that a top four finish is something to be proud of.

So, does this current Villa team have what it takes to see through a top four place? Well, a good place to find the answer to that question is by comparing their numbers with the 2023-24 team that did exactly that.

As per Sofascore, Villa’s current team are averaging 1.4 goals scored per Premier League game than the 2.0 registered by the 2023-24 side, as well as creating 2.0 big chances per game compared to their 2.6.

They’ve also averaged 4.4 shots on target per game compared to the 5.0 put up by the 2023-24 side, and so there’s clearly some work to be done in the attacking department for Emery in the coming weeks.

However, the current team have conceded less goals per game (1.2) than the 2023-24 sides’ 1.6, and they’ve also won more tackles per game (15.4 vs 14.4) and made more clearances per match (21.6 vs 14.8) respectively.

Therefore, this present day Villans team are considerably less charitable in defence, and so Emery, his coaching team and the players deserve massive credit for making those improvements.

They’re also a more physical team than the 2023-24 bunch, winning 49.5 per cent of duels per game compared to their 48.9 per cent, but have done so by picking up only 1.5 yellow cards per match, whilst the 2023-24 side collected 2.5 respectively.

How Villa’s 2023-23 and 2025-26 home/away forms compare

One of the main frustrations around this Aston Villa team this season has been their form at Villa Park, as it hasn’t routinely felt like the fortress it so typically is in 2025-26.

Villa have lost four times at home in the Premier League this term, with two draws and 10 wins from their 16 total games, culminating in a points tally of 32.

Indeed, they’ve already lost one more game on home soil than the 2023-24 team did during that season, when they lost only three times at Villa Park, winning 12 and drawing four of their 19 league outings, totalling 40 points.

Meanwhile on the road, this current Villa team still have some work to do to match the 2023-24 group, as they won eight times in B6 that term, whilst the present day team have picked up only six victories so far.