Unai Emery returns to familiar territory on Tuesday with more than just three points at stake, as Aston Villa look to deal a significant blow to Arsenal’s hopes of securing their first Premier League title in 22 years.
It is a reunion layered with irony. Emery was dismissed by Arsenal in 2019, barely a year after succeeding Arsène Wenger, in what is widely regarded as one of the few setbacks in his otherwise accomplished managerial career. His second spell in English football, however, has been defined by revival and sustained progress.
Since arriving at Villa Park just over three years ago, the Spaniard has transformed Aston Villa from relegation battlers into genuine title contenders. The Birmingham club, champions of England as recently as 1981, are enjoying their most compelling league campaign in decades.
Saturday’s 2-1 victory away to Chelsea extended Villa’s winning run in all competitions to 11 matches — their longest sequence of wins since 1914. That surge has lifted Emery’s side to within three points of Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League, despite Villa failing to win any of their opening six league games this season.
“We are competing very well. We are third in the league behind Arsenal and Manchester City. Wow,” Emery said after masterminding another tactical turnaround at Stamford Bridge.
Villa were second-best for long periods and trailed 1-0 until Emery’s triple substitution on the hour mark reshaped the contest. Ollie Watkins emerged from the bench to score twice, later describing his manager’s in-game adjustment as “tactical genius”.
Scepticism remains over whether Villa can sustain a title challenge across the remaining 20 matches, particularly given the financial muscle and squad depth available to both Arsenal and Manchester City. Yet even being part of that conversation reflects the remarkable trajectory of the club under Emery.
European football has become the norm once more at Villa Park. After a 13-year absence from continental competition — which included a three-season spell in the Championship — Villa have now qualified for Europe in each of the past three campaigns.
Their resurgence was underscored last season when Paris Saint-Germain were pushed to the brink in a dramatic Champions League quarter-final. PSG eventually progressed 5-4 on aggregate before going on to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.
Arsenal, too, have felt the force of Villa’s rise. Mikel Arteta’s side were beaten in Birmingham earlier this month, their only defeat in the last 24 matches in all competitions.
For Emery, success against his former club has become something of a pattern. Across spells with Paris Saint-Germain, Villarreal and Aston Villa, the 54-year-old has lost just twice in 10 meetings with Arsenal. That run includes a pivotal 2-0 victory at the Emirates in April 2024 — a result that ultimately derailed Arsenal’s title push.
With hindsight, even Emery’s turbulent 18 months in north London appear less damaging than initially perceived. Taking over a club in decline during Wenger’s final years, he narrowly missed Champions League qualification in his only full season and guided Arsenal to the Europa League final.
Now, the balance of power has shifted. Arsenal remain outsiders in what has developed into a three-horse title race, but another defeat at the hands of Villa would further elevate Emery’s side from challengers to genuine contenders — and reinforce the sense that this reckoning is long overdue.
