Unai Emery marks four years at Aston Villa on Tuesday, when his side visits the Nou Camp to face Barcelona in the Champions League. Villa won the Europa League in May, ending a 30-year trophy drought, and Emery turns 55 on the day of the game.
Emery arrived at Villa Park four years ago with two clear aims. “My dream is to win a trophy with Aston Villa. It’s my challenge,” he said at his unveiling in November 2022. “My second dream and my objective could be to play with Aston Villa in Europe. But now, we have to start thinking only the next match because we are not in good position in the table now.”
He has achieved both. That success has sparked natural speculation about his next move, whether at Villa or elsewhere.
Villa push toward the elite
Villa responded angrily when Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said Emery would want to manage an elite club, with Manchester United admirers. The club even threatened legal action. Villa see themselves as a club ready to join the elite, having challenged the top sides in the Premier League and Europe over the past two years, with Emery leading the way.
Carragher’s assertion that the Spaniard would be open to leaving was naive, given how much control Emery holds at the club and the success he has delivered, even if it was not the most sensational of opinions. Emery signed his most recent contract in May 2024, which runs until 2029, so Villa are protected. A new deal is still expected following the Europa League triumph.
Villa have climbed the pecking order but have not yet reached the top. They remain well placed, as the signing of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg showed. The club still lost players to traditionally bigger clubs over the summer, including Emi Martinez, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. Ollie Watkins also left for Saudi Arabia. Those changes have, however, given Emery new vigor.
Emery targets Barcelona
The Nou Camp gives Emery a chance to test his team against one of Europe’s best and to measure the progress Villa have made. “We are constantly seeking new challenges and we want to respond in games against Barcelona to see how far we are from them,” he said.
Emery pointed to Villa’s own European history. “We won it [the European Cup] in 1982 and right now we are enjoying reminiscing with our fans, playing in this competition again, and trying to repeat that success.”
He also framed the challenge as one that will be decided later in the campaign. “Barca are favourites because of the present and what they have done over the last 10 years, but they need to confirm their favourite role,” he said. “The way this league stage goes, to end up finishing it in the first eight we need to avoid any kind of surprise. There will be times during the season when you walk your own path, but it needs to be clear the second part of the season is when things will be decided.”
Emery summed up the situation simply: “Barcelona have six points, we have nine. We need to find out our personality and make the most of our qualities.”
A demanding coach who transformed the club
Emery was given carte blanche to change Villa when he succeeded Steven Gerrard. He has turned them from Premier League strugglers into Europa League winners and Champions League challengers.
His methods are intense. Players can sit through several long meetings during the week and may take months to adapt to his demands. Internally, there is an acceptance that this is why Aaron Wan-Bissaka has struggled so far this season, having not received the same level of coaching at West Ham. The exhaustive nature of his approach also played a part in former president of football operations Monchi leaving last year, as Emery’s close confidante needed a break.
That meticulousness, however, is also what makes Emery and his teams so effective. Barcelona sources fear Villa will exploit their weaknesses, pointing to the struggles of Alejandro Balde and the lack of defensive instinct shown by Joao Cancelo. They worry about Emery’s capacity to plan and pounce on an opponent’s weakness.
Respect from Barcelona, and a poor record to fix
Emery has earned admirers, including Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, for his work at Villa. Emery has already won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal. “He is one of the best coaches in Europe and the world. He is very successful,” Flick said. “In the way his team plays, you can see a clear structure, and in offence they have different patterns. For me, it is amazing to see his team.”
Flick also praised Villa’s attacking threat. “The start was not easy, but they came back. You can see the confidence they have on the ball, how they play out, and Jackson is at an unbelievable level. For us, it will be a tough game against a good team and, as well, a great coach.”
Barca winger Anthony Gordon also called Emery “one of the best in the world” before the game. Emery’s record at the Nou Camp, however, is poor. He has lost 14 of his 15 games there and has beaten Barcelona only three times in 30 attempts. His last Champions League game at the stadium ended in collapse, as Paris St-Germain lost 6-1 in the last 16 after winning the first leg 4-0.
Emery is eager to change that record. “Everything happened in that match, we know,” he said, noting that no English team has won at the Nou Camp since Liverpool in 2007. “I started in 2004, playing in Europe 16 years in a row, different competitions, I have learned in all the competitions. In that match I learned so much. The necessity of VAR for football in that moment.”
He added: “In my experiences they [his games at the Nou Camp] were giving me a lot of info to learn and get better. With the players we are speaking about our experiences together, we have our experience in Europe, in the Champions League two years ago.”
Emery sees the stakes clearly. “We are facing one of the favourite teams to win the competition, it is a huge challenge. We are confident how we are building the team, how we are facing teams like Barcelona. We are here progressing, understanding, setting our demands and competing the level we are, this is the challenge we have.”