Just shy of the halfway mark inside the 2023-24 Premier League campaign, Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have been the surprise package. In with a real shot of the top four, Emery’s Villa are even within touching distance of the Premier League title chase, currently sitting a single point behind Arsenal in the lead. With that, we analyze what has made Unai Emery’s Aston Villa so remarkable this season.
System of Play: 4-4-2
Aston Villa have been somewhat flexible in formation this season within Unai Emery’s rigid structures, ensuring that they play the exact same way even despite subtle personnel changes. The most typical way of looking at the Villains is as either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, which is certainly their most common defensive shape.
Embed from Getty ImagesAn organized back-four has long been Emery’s favourite way to play, and he’s built a reputation around dominating European football through his defensive tactics. No surprise then that Villa have the fourth best defensive record in the league (behind only Arsenal, Liverpool and City). Their two banks of four are incredibly difficult to break down, and filled with defensive destroyers like Boubacar Kamara and Ezri Konsa. But it cannot be understated just how much of a difference Emi Martinez makes to that stellar defensive record.
Embed from Getty ImagesMartinez has earned praise as one of the best keepers in the world since his move from back-up at Arsenal to first choice at Villa, and nothing’s changed this time around. Only Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario has prevented more goals per 90 than Martinez (0.24), and only David Raya and Jose Sa have stopped more crosses into the box (12.1%). His command, leadership, and immaculate reflexes ensure that even if the Lions mess up, Martinez is there to clean up the mess.
The back four’s been steady in front of Martinez, not missing a beat since Tyrone Mings’ horrific injury on the opening day. And why would they – with the recruitment of Pau Torres this summer and Diego Carlos prior to the start of last campaign? But of all the centre-backs at the club, Ezri Konza‘s been the most impressive. His 1v1 defending is practically unmatched in the league, and he’s even shown versatility this season by moving out to right-back this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesFullbacks are also usually essential to Emery’s principles, including bursting forward into the attack. That’s where Alex Moreno has had a tougher time this season breaking into the team, given the high-quality start from former Barca man Lucas Digne. Matty Cash has held down the mantle on the other side in a more defensive stance, but sometimes he’ll even push forward to accommodate an extra centre-back in the side.
The midfield is one of the best in the league, featuring one of the players of the season thus far in Douglas Luiz. Luiz has always been sublime on the defensive end, but has upped both his box to box energy and creative output this campaign. Partially responsible for that is his relationship with the true defensive holder in Boubacar Kamara; not to mention the energy of inverted wingers like Jacob Ramsey or John McGinn that can slot inside.
Similar to his approach with fullbacks, Emery prefers one that is more flamboyant and threatening on the attack, and one that can contribute more in central areas. Leon Bailey’s found his home on the right-hand-side to exude all of his trickery, with John McGinn an un-droppable figurehead rampaging around the pitch. That affords Lucas Digne the opportunity to go forward, and new signing Moussa Diaby to also play centrally, up alongside Ollie Watkins.
Speaking of Ollie Watkins, he’s been the star of the team, helping the Lions roar to 38 goals in just 18 matches. The 27-year-old has made a clear claim for a spot with The Three Lions, contributing 9 goals and 6 assists in his 18 appearances. Beyond the goals, Watkins has contributed to nearly every attack Aston Villa have conjured up this season; making him absolutely essential to their team.
Embed from Getty ImagesSo those are the key figureheads within the system. Now let’s jump into our deep-dive all about the team’s principles across the phases.
ATTACKING PRINCIPLES
Aston Villa have all the quality they need to build patiently out from the back and work the ball up the pitch through the thirds. Pau Torres is an excellent ball-carrier, Ezri Konza rarely gives the ball away, and Douglas Luiz has the quality to control games from midfield.
But Emery’s team are always looking for that cutting edge pass into Ollie Watkins. He’ll drop toward the ball and link inside his own half, but he’s most dangerous when you can hit his running power in the channels.
Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne are immaculate at hitting long passes across the pitch, ensuring that Villa don’t always have to keep the ball to control games.
With just shy of 54% possession this season (8th), their long passing moves can immediately spearhead quick attacks in the blink of an eye – something that always allows Villa to score goals for fun. They love to combine in tight spaces and work the ball in close quarters, before breaking free with a swift bit of movement in the wide areas or a give-and-go combination with the likes of Watkins and McGinn.
When they get higher up the pitch looking to break down defensive units, you may even see Pau Torres expanding his horizons and carrying forward. One centre-back will stay deep as the sweeper (typically Konza), as the right-back also hangs low. With Kamara’s tenacity in front of them, they have a sound rest-defense in place to push other members of their team further forward, again allowing for close connections in the final third and the ability to engage Ollie Watkins.
But it won’t surprise you to hear that the Villains have exuded the most attacking threat on the break. They look for quick routes to goal with an emphasis on the wide channels, where they can release the likes of McGinn, Diaby or Watkins into space.
Powerful ball-carriers like Jacob Ramsey or Moussa Diaby may also be responsible for driving the team through the centre, as the left-back gallops up the pitch to join the attack.
Lucas Digne’s been great at making late arriving runs onto the scene to contribute to final third finishes, while Douglas Luiz can always strike from distance.
Combine that counter-attacking potency with their set-piece prowess and spread of players that can find the back of the net, and it’s no surprise why Villa have found the back of the net so often this season.
Defensive principles
Embed from Getty ImagesUnai Emery’s teams are often built around defensive resilience, and the same can certainly be said of Aston Villa since the Spaniard entered the door. Their defense is built around a compact 4-4-2 and a relative man-to-man approach where players in midfield will often screen passes into the opposition’s attacking players.
Both the front two and midfield four are brilliant at screening those passes and limiting the opposition’s route forward, often forcing bad passes or a backward move. That’s where Ollie Watkins can press on his own, as the others react by marking opposition players likely to receive the next pass.
Since they don’t press with all that much intense vigour yet limit passing opportunities around the pitch, opposition sides often have no choice but to go long against the Villains. This is where Emery’s team have been the best on the block, catching their opposition offside more than anyone else. The back-four are always quick to organize themselves, and adopt a high-line within the over-arching compactness. That leaves plenty of space for opposition players to run into, and plenty of space for Martinez to cover. But their organization often pays dividends in catching players offside, and the Argentinean keeper plays his part whenever required.
That can be a weakness if opposition sides time the run correctly, but more often than not, the Villains come out on top. In beating the defensive resilience, opposition sides have often tried to hit Aston Villa’s left-hand-channel, which lacks the same level of pace and 1v1 superiority as the right.
They can be caught out with a quick ball over the top or a pass into space for a winger to run onto. Even then, getting past the Villa defense still needs to end with a shot against Emi Martinez, who remains one of the most difficult keepers to beat.
It’s one of the many reasons why they don’t tend to concede much in transition. We spoke last season about just how much Emery improved Villa’s rest-defense after coming into the club, specifically by positioning Luiz alongside Kamara in a double-pivot. But the idea behind allowing two of their back-three to urge slightly forward with a sweeper, sweeper keeper, and defensive midfielder compacting central channels allows for better variety in the attack while giving them plenty to work with going the other way. Ezri Konsa has been absolutely sublime when defending in transition, always using his strength to nudge speedy attackers off the ball. Emi Martinez meanwhile is one of the most defensively active sweeper keepers in the league. Only Vicario beats his 2.18 defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90, ensuring that Villa can sweep up any long passes over the top.
Embed from Getty ImagesSince they also counter-press with intensity and allow the fullbacks to drop back into position as uninvolved members of that process, Emery tends to remain one step ahead of the position.
Overall, it’s been a remarkable rise for Aston Villa under Unai Emery in 2023, and you can completely see why they’ve made the leap into European football in such a short time. A genuine title chase may be out of reach, especially if they fall into the trap of failing to beat sides they should blow away. But Emery remains one of the best tacticians, and always up for a fight against a giant. The future looks bright for Aston Villa, and their manager certainly deserves immense credit.
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So there it is! Our tactical analysis of Aston Villa from Rhys Desmond. Be sure to check out more of our Team Analyses, and follow on social media @mastermindsite! Thanks for reading and see you soon.
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