When Unai Emery took charge of Aston Villa in the autumn of 2022, few could have predicted the scale of the transformation he would oversee. After guiding the club to a fourth-place Premier League finish in his first full season and a memorable Champions League quarter-final run last term, the Basque manager is now crafting what might be his finest work yet at Villa Park.
The Remarkable Turnaround
The context makes this achievement all the more impressive. Earlier in the campaign, Aston Villa appeared close to a rabble both on and off the field. The team failed to score in the league for over a month, while Emery and his players expressed dissatisfaction with the summer recruitment. Morale within the camp plummeted to such an extent that a top-ten finish seemed like a distant dream.
Yet through ferocious attention to detail, sheer force of will, and strategic pay rises for key players, Emery has not only halted the slide but spectacularly reversed it. Their recent 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, secured by Boubacar Kamara's brilliant second-half strike, marked their seventh win in eight league games – a run that briefly propelled them to third in the table before Chelsea's match against Arsenal.
Martinez's Goalkeeping Masterclass
While Kamara provided the decisive moment, the victory was built on defensive resilience, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez delivering a performance that reminded everyone of his world-class abilities. The Argentine produced a series of improbable saves, including pushing Jorgen Strand Larsen's effort behind and, from the resulting corner, tipping Yerson Mosquera's header onto the crossbar.
Martinez's relationship with the club had appeared strained after a summer where he was keen to leave, but his outstanding displays continue to prove invaluable. The Holte End responded to his heroics with chants of 'the world's No1', suggesting that affection remains despite the transfer speculation.
Contrasting Fortunes for Strikers
The match highlighted ongoing concerns in attack for both sides. For Wolves, Jorgen Strand Larsen, who had attracted a £55 million bid from Newcastle in the summer, struggled to rediscover his scoring rhythm. Despite showing occasional threat, the Norwegian forward proved frustratingly flimsy in physical duels.
Aston Villa's own attacking options raised questions, with Donyell Malen failing to make an impact in a rare league start and Ollie Watkins looking desperately short of confidence after being relegated to the bench. The situation may prompt consideration of a January move that could benefit all parties.
Lessons for Wolves and Rob Edwards
While Villa celebrated another step in their remarkable recovery, Wolves faced the grim reality of their situation. Barring a miracle, they appear destined for the Championship next season. New coach Rob Edwards can nevertheless look to Emery's work at Villa for inspiration, demonstrating that worrying situations can be rectified relatively quickly with the right approach.
Wolves showed signs of improvement in their 5-3-2 system, looking better organised than at any point this season and carrying a threat through the pace of Jackson Tchatchoua. They were unfortunate to have a first-half goal from Strand Larsen ruled out when Jhon Arias was judged to have been impeding Martinez from an offside position.
As Aston Villa prepare for tougher tests against Brighton and Arsenal, they do so as a force to be reckoned with once again under Unai Emery's leadership – a transformation that few who follow them regularly would have predicted during those dark early days of the season.
