Aston Villa soaring thanks to midfield SEVEN! Unai Emery aids good run
Aston Villa soaring thanks to SEVEN in midfield! The fantastical formation from Unai Emery (while Ollie Watkins works wonders up front) has inspired their remarkable resurgence
- Unai Emery’s unusual formation choice has got Aston Villa flying this season
- They pack out the midfield, and leave Ollie Watkins alone up front – but it works
- After dispatching Newcastle 3-0 on Saturday, Villa are closing in on Europe
With the hottest striker in the country, seven wins in their last eight and a young team energised by an experienced coach, Aston Villa are well in the hunt for European football.
Unai Emery took over with the club toiling in 16th after Steven Gerrard’s failed project but the Spaniard has led them to sixth, with more points than all but Manchester City and Arsenal in 2023.
So what are the key factors behind Villa’s resurgence?
Ollie Watkins has become one of the Premier League’s hottest properties this season
It is part of a remarkable turnaround for Aston Villa since Unai Emery took the manager’s job
LEAGUE’S HOT PROPERTY
WITH a brace against Newcastle taking his tally to 11 for the year, Ollie Watkins has the joint-most Premier League goals in 2023. He is level with Erling Haaland and for Watkins to be talked about in the same sentence as the Norwegian is a compliment.
It’s a testament to Emery’s work with Watkins, who now has 20 goal involvements for the season — with 14 goals and six assists.
The former Exeter and Brentford man has always been a talent but, in Emery’s system, he is thriving with a bit of genuine coaching he perhaps lacked under the inexperienced Gerrard. He could have had more than a brace here, hitting the post after 28 seconds, having one goal disallowed for a tight offside and being denied by Nick Pope a couple of times.
Under Gerrard, Watkins competed with Danny Ings for the No9 shirt — and sometimes played out wide or alongside his strike partner — but is being allowed to lead the line now, with Emi Buendia complementing him well. ‘I’m being patient, timing my runs, being a lot smarter — I’m not running the channels or fighting with centre backs,’ said Watkins. ‘My strengths are running in behind and the manager has told the boys, “When you get the ball, look for Ollie”.’
With Gareth Southgate in attendance, Watkins put in a complete performance which is unlikely to have gone unnoticed.
FLUID SYSTEM THRIVES
IT is hard to recall a time in the last year when Newcastle were played off the park and dominated in the way they were here.
Part of that was inflicted by Emery’s fluid system, a 4-2-2-2 on the team-sheet but, in practice, two defenders, seven midfielders and Watkins leading the line.
Douglas Luiz and Leander Dendoncker are happy to sit just ahead of the centre halves and, from there onwards, it’s a bit of a free-for-all formation.
John McGinn was the most advanced midfielder, according to the position maps, though the creative burden was also shouldered by Buendia and Jacob Ramsey.
Ramsey, a local lad, put in perhaps his best performance of the season and was a menace all over the field, scoring the first goal and nearly adding another.
Emery admitted after the match that he likes one of his two full backs to join the attack and the other to drop in. Alex Moreno did that and gave Kieran Trippier his toughest game of the season, with Newcastle unable to handle Villa’s many runs from deep.
John McGinn was Villa’s most advanced midfielder in a fluid system in the centre of the park
The left-back Moreno looks like one of the best bargains after a £12m move from Real Betis
MAGNIFICENT MORENO
MORENO was signed for just £12million in January from Real Betis and looks like a real bargain, with the left back one of the star performers under Emery.
With 72 touches, he saw more of the ball than any Villa man, bombing up and down the left flank with energy and precision.
With better finishing, he could have had a hat-trick of assists but settled for just one, a fizzed cross to Watkins for his first strike, minutes after the pair combined for a goal that was ruled offside.
Since his debut, he has created the second-most chances from open play in the top flight, and it was interesting to hear Emery discuss him after the match.
‘He’s finding not only crosses but passes as well,’ said Emery. ‘I knew him in Spain. He is playing in the style we are creating.’
Tyrone Mings is a solid part of Aston Villa’s backline despite no longer being the captain
… EVEN MINGS IS SOLID
WHEN Villa signed Diego Carlos for £26m in the summer, it felt like Tyrone Mings’ career was at a crossroads. The Englishman was on the bench on the opening day of the season, with Carlos and Ezri Konsa the defensive duo.
Since then, Mings has started all but two games in the league, admittedly helped by Carlos’ ligament injury. He doesn’t have the armband any more but Mings is still a leader. When Newcastle made rare forays forward, Mings was there to thwart them. He is imperious in the air and is improving on the ball, too.
As Ramsey handed Watkins the BT Sport player-of-the-match award, Mings butted in and joked, ‘That’s for me… surely?’
Not on this occasion, Tyrone, as this win was all about Villa’s attacking brilliance — but on this form, there will be plenty more awards like that.
MATCH STATS
ASTON VILLA (4-2-2-2): Martinez 7.5; Young 7, Konsa 7, Mings 7.5, Moreno 8; Dendoncker 7, Luiz 7; McGinn 7.5, Ramsey 8 (Chambers 85min); WATKINS 9 (Duran 90), Buendia 8.
Scorers: Ramsey 11, Watkins 64, 83.
Booked: Duran.
Manager: Unai Emery 8.5.
NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Pope 7.5; Trippier 4, Botman 5, Schar 4, Burn 4 (Targett 68, 6); Guimaraes 6, Willock 6 (S Longstaff 68, 6); Murphy 7 (Almiron 56, 6), Joelinton 5 (Anderson 80), Gordon 4.5 (Wilson 56, 6); Isak 6.
Booked: Schar.
Manager: Eddie Howe 5.
Referee: John Brooks 7.
Attendance: 42,055.
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