Credit: Imago

Scott Mason

Tue 31 March 2026 18:10, UK

Unai Emery’s Champions League hopes at Aston Villa could ultimately crumble with the B6 side the worst for converting big chances.

As it stands, the Birmingham-based club are sitting in fourth place with a six-point buffer over fifth.

However, in the Premier League things can change quite quickly, highlighted by Manchester United taking a spot above the Villans over the last 10 matchweeks.

Emery’s men had an 11-point gap over the Red Devils in matchweek 21; however, Michael Carrick has guided the Manchester club above Aston Villa.

Now, Emery risks losing even more ground in the league, with his side featuring at the bottom of the big chances conversion table ahead of Aston Villa’s run-in.

What is Aston Villa’s big chance conversion this season?

Unai Emery will need his Aston Villa side to start firing in goals from good opportunities.

According to The Athletic, Villa’s 27 per cent conversion from big chances makes them the least clinical from opportunities they would be expected to score.

Emery will of course be frustrated with this reveal. If Villa are to keep hold of their position in the table, they will have to improve in this area.

Football matches can often be defined by the smallest of margins, and the Spanish manager must provide his side with those small improvements to confirm Champions League football.

Failing to score from big chances at the rate they currently do could end up costing them valuable points.

Villa will only have themselves to blame if they fail to capitalise on their current six-point lead in fourth place.

How Ollie Watkins is partly to blame for Villa frustrations

Throughout the Premier League season, Ollie Watkins has missed the fourth most big chances this season.

His total of 15 is only bettered, or worsened in this case, by Jean-Phillipe Mateta (17), Igor Thiago (17) and Erling Haaland (24).

In the case of the two latter players, they could be afforded some leeway due to their goalscoring exploits this season.

The Brentford and Manchester City strikers have scored 19 and 22 goals, respectively.

Additionally, among Premier League forwards to have played at least 25 games, Watkins ranks 15th out of 30 for goal conversion with 14.52 per cent.

Watkins has been far from his best this campaign. After scoring 19 and 16 goals in the last two Premier League seasons, his current total of nine is simply below expectations.