The incredible Premier League table over the course of Unai ...
Unai Emery has now taken charge of a full season’s worth of games at Aston Villa – and they’re a top-four side when you look at how the Premier League table shapes up over that period.
Only Manchester City and Arsenal have picked up more points than Villa since Emery was appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor last November. He’s led them to take more points than Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle – and considerably more than Tottenham and Chelsea.
In fact, despite Chelsea spending almost £1billion on transfers under Todd Boehly, and boasting a considerably higher wage bill, Villa have taken almost twice as many points as the ailing Blues over the past 38 games.
“When I arrived here, I told everybody and fans my objective,” Emery told reporters in October, reflecting on nearly a year at the helm of Villa.
“We did the first objective, which was to be in Europe. The next step is to do something in Europe and to progressively get into other European competitions like the Europa League or Champions League. That is my dream.”
Villa’s excellent form under Emery saw them rise from just above the relegation zone, when he took over, to qualifying for the Europa Conference League with a seventh-place finish. They’ve managed to keep that momentum going in 2023-24 so far, sitting pretty in fourth place – the first time they’ve sat in the top four in the Premier League table since 2009 – and remarkably just two points off league leaders Arsenal.
Here’s a closer look at the Premier League table over the past 38 games; a sample size that shows that Emery’s Villa might just be the real deal, and more than capable of upsetting the established elite to challenge for Champions League qualification.
We’ve only included the 17 teams that have been in the English top flight throughout Emery’s tenure, leaving out last season’s relegated sides and this season’s promoted teams, including the last 38 results for every team.
1. Man City – 86 points, +54 GD
2. Arsenal – 80 points, +42 GD
3. Aston Villa – 77 points, +27 GD
4. Liverpool – 76 points, +36 GD
5. Man Utd – 76 points, +16 GD
6. Newcastle – 70 points, + 38 GD
7. Brighton – 63 points, +19 GD
8. Tottenham – 60 points, +5 GD
9. Brentford – 60 points, +16 GD
10. Fulham – 46 points, -8 GD
11. West Ham – 46 points, -11 GD
12. Wolves – 46 points, -18 GD
13. Crystal Palace – 41 points, -12 GD
14. Nottingham Forest – 42 points, -15 GD
15. Chelsea – 39 points, -8 GD
16. Bournemouth – 38 points, -32 GD
17. Everton – 36 points, -28 GD [Excluding points penalty]
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