Unai Emery has managed 16 league matches since Aston Villa appointed him as Steven Gerrard’s successor earlier this season.
The Villans have picked up 30 points and suffered four defeats, out of which three of them came against Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. This has seen them climb to the seventh spot, six points behind fifth placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Mundo Deportivo have a piece explaining what goes inside Emery’s ‘laboratory’ at Aston Villa and how he has transformed the club.
When the former Arsenal coach started his second stint in England, he didn’t talk about avoiding relegation but about winning trophies and qualifying for Europe.
After a disappointing 18-month spell at Arsenal, it’s a ‘personal challenge’ for Emery, who is determined to lead Aston Villa to the European competition in the future. He’s not only a good strategist, but also a good motivator and knows how to get the best out of his players.
There have been several outstanding players in the Villans’ ‘radical transformation’ under the Spaniard, but Mundo state Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz stand out.
‘The partnership between Watkins’ shots and Douglas Luiz’s passes is an achievement by Emery, with a lethal counterattack game, one of the best in the Premier League. And it is not the result of chance, but of specific individual work,’ the newspaper states.
After his arrival at Aston Villa, Emery spoke to Watkins and ‘entrusted him with specific work on unchecking movements.’ The striker has also received advice from the manager on his physical preparation. This has helped him impress, scoring nine goals in the league under Emery.
Meanwhile, Luiz has scored two goals directly from corners. Mundo state there wasn’t any luck in this because the midfielder has been working with Emery’s assistant, Austin Macphee, on this specific aspect after training.
Mundo end their piece by stating: ‘Hard and specific work behind the scenes, individual dedication, motivating tactical analysis and insistence on set pieces have made Aston Villa among the best teams in the second round of the Premier League.’
If Aston Villa were to continue their upward trend under Emery, they could be in the fight to qualify for the European competition next season.
