Every era requires a defining victory and Aston Villa’s magnum opus under Unai Emery, so far anyway, came at home against Manchester City last season.
It was a December night, just over 12 months ago and Villa won 1-0.
In truth, the scoreline was merciful on City. Pep Guardiola’s three-in-a-row (and soon-to-be-four) Premier League title winners barely landed a glove and Villa put on a performance that will surely be replayed for years to come, with clips of the finer details shown to the club’s academy players.
Advert
It was masterful and magnificent. Each service of the device designed by Emery worked at its optimal level, dismantling the current European champions, who, like yesterday, were without Rodri and without direction. City recorded two shots in the match in either the first 11 minutes, the fewest ever achieved by a Guardiola team, and conceded the most shots in their Premier League reign (22).
City were unusually nervous beyond recognition, but woke up and did not lose their league form for the rest of the campaign, winning 19 of 23 finals.
Although the weaknesses exposed by Villa on Wednesday night have become more evident within City this season, Emery insisted he “didn’t care” about his job ahead of this new visit. “They are full of permanent dangers,” he said.
Once more, City came to Villa Park in December and once more they were beaten — the 2-1 scoreline this time not doing the home side’s dominance justice. Emery and Guardiola both sit in more pensive positions than they did 12 months ago, short of where they want to be and knowing more of their side’s vulnerabilities have been unmasked this season. It is broadly reflective of how the 2024-25 Premier League has shaped up, with managers who seek to control most variables in matches finding it more difficult to do so and being prone to late implosions, something Villa were reminded of away to Nottingham Forest at the start of the month.
Both coaches instill a very disciplined design in their teams, who prefer the speed of the game and depend on ruthlessness on any of the surfaces to win games. Neither City nor Villa (as well as considerations about the recent Arsenal franchise) have had the same conviction as last season. They seem more hesitant, less sure of themselves and more vulnerable to defensive errors.
Advertisement
Before Saturday, Villa had conceded 25 goals from an expected goal vs (xGA) of 19. 5. In other words, they have scored five more goals than expected, and only 19th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers have underperformed on that measure at a higher rate. Underlying knowledge is not a panacea for all problems, but it did not show us a Villa team brimming with confidence.
Although Emery said he “didn’t know” the points that were developing City’s problems, there were weaknesses that he exploited in that adjustment just over a year ago. At that time, Emery knew the importance of Villa not limiting themselves to a counter-attacking risk and sought to create overloads in the center of the field, settling on 4 archetypal central midfielders who put man-to-man pressure on a City midfielder who was without a specialist. in the position with Rodri suspended. Villa won ownership in the final third on thirteen occasions, the most ever achieved by an opposing team against a Guardiola team.
This time, City had specialist midfielders available but resembled an ageing rock band, especially without their key member in Rodri (out for the season through injury this time) once again.
“I never like to worry or wait for a result, but I’m sure the team will have the right approach,” Emery wrote in Saturday’s program notes. “Aston Villa is a team that never gives up unless the rival shows that they are much bigger than us. Nobody can be more specific or more committed.
Emery chose a team that quickly drew parallels to that same game a year ago. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Villa has once again opted for 4 central midfielders, even if it is the first time this season. Amadou Onana is the only substitute in a painting-shaped painting. in midfield, replacing the now-deceased Douglas Luiz in the squad for last December’s match against City, with Youri Tielemans placed in tenth place and John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara rounding out the quartet.
Advertisement
All of the goals almost materialized in the first 15 seconds of the game, when McGinn stole the ball and Jhon Durán, starting in Ollie Watkins’ position, charged to force a save from Stefan Ortega. Intense urgency accompanied by tough races ahead.
City were left chasing back towards their own goal, victims of a high defensive line and an absence of energy in midfield. Onana tracked every step of Phil Foden and Kamara did the same with Ilkay Gundogan. In trying to escape their clutches, Foden and Gundogan swapped roles just before the half-hour mark.
An ownerless 4-2-4 faced City, causing duels on the field. Emery knew that if Villa were competitive enough, they could gain ground amid City’s dysfunction. Villa’s ownership percentage in the twenties, however, they controlled five shots in the first. 25 minutes.
Possession with a goal was an issue and crystallized in Durán’s first goal in the 16th minute.
Starting with Emiliano Martínez in goal, the entire play consisted of 3 passes.
? @tntsports
– Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 21, 2024
And for American readers:
Jhon Durán moves on the counterattack to make it 1-0 for the champions!
? American Network | #AVLMCI pic. twitter. com/Hj8KJM473F
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 21, 2024
Both Guardiola and Emery have playing systems influenced by a preference for defending rather than transitions, but Villa continued to defeat City yesterday.
Emery then explained how he looked for his players to start the game by “pressing hard” and was dissatisfied at half-time with Villa’s “low” defence. The solution, he insisted, was to make more passes to the game and allow his midfielder to play through his City counterparts, creating more chances to get into the final third.
Duran’s disallowed goal for offside in the second half was a consequence of Tielemans being able to thread passes from a higher position and City having no pressure on the ball. Villa were too athletic, too strong and always had an overload centrally.
“I give more credit to Aston Villa for making that action than our (mistakes),” said Guardiola. “They make diagonal passes with Tielemans behind our holding midfielders. I give credit because the opponents were good. They dribble, they keep the ball. You go to McGinn, they dribble at you; you go to (Morgan) Rogers, they dribble at you.”
Advertisement
Villa attempted 28 tackles, nearly three times as many as City (11). They forced 10 more turnovers (21), which was key to launching themselves on the attack, and the chasm in athleticism and power between the two sides was obvious. It reached a stage where it felt inevitable Villa would rip through City’s midfield. The second goal from Rogers to double the lead just past the hour came through his typical bustling.
Emery took a page from a playbook of the past to record Villa’s second successive victory over City. It started – and was – with the midfielder.
(Top photo: Onana at full-time, left, and Emery; Getty Images)