From Stevie G to Emery 

It's easy to forget where Villa were when they managed to entice Unai Emery to Villa Park in 2022. 

Under Steven Gerrard, the club had only won two of their first eleven games and were sitting in 16th place in the Premier League with fears they were about to be dragged into another relegation dogfight. 

Emery changed all that with an incredible turnaround. Having won his first game in charge - a 3-1 win over Manchester United - they went on to win fifteen of their twenty-five league games under Emery and 49 points from a possible 75, breaking the record for the longest consecutive scoring run a team has had from the start of a manager's tenure in the competition's history. 

They ended the season in 7th and qualified for Europe for the first time in a decade, but that was only the beginning. 

Villa reached the semi-finals of the Europa League in Emery's first full season, but more impressively, he also led the club to qualify for the Champions League after a fourth-place finish in the league. 

The Birmingham club then enjoyed a fruitful campaign in 2024-24 back at European football's top table, where they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by eventual winners PSG. 

In just four short years, the Spanish boss has put Villa back on the map and established them as a real European force. Now all that's needed is a trophy to define the era under Emery. 

Europa cheat code? 

What is going in Villa's favour is not just having one of Europe's most undervalued managers at the helm, but also his record in this competition. Unai Emery simply loves a bit of the Europa League. 

The 54-year-old is already a four-time winner of the competition - three times with Seville, once with Villarreal - and a runner-up with Arsenal, and revels in lifting the famous trophy. 

Does that give his side an edge? Of course. It's a mentality of knowing they have a manager who's been there and done it, and beaten some big names, too. Benfica, Liverpool and Manchester United all went into games against Emery's respective sides as the favourites, but it was Villa's current gaffer who put each to the sword. 

Now he has his sights set on number five.

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Will Villa win the Europa League?

Putting their multi-time winning manager aside, the Midlanders should head into the clash with Freiburg, thinking they can finally grab that elusive piece of silverware. 

The Germans finished seventh in the Bundesliga and are playing in their first-ever European final, where they'll be coming up against a side who will be playing Champions League football once again next season, regardless of the result in Turkey - another achievement in Emery's locker. 

They also come into it after an impressive win over Liverpool, where Ollie Watkins continued his recent return to form with two more goals in a 4-2 victory. 

His timely goalscoring run puts him among the danger men for Villa, and could be the difference maker, in a game where the Premier League side are going to have to break down a low block and get between the lines. 

John McGinn's drive and determination through the middle will also be key, as he looks to dictate the tempo and abuse the quality advantage Villa have. 

If all goes to plan, the current side will be history makers. They'll define an era that has been led by this elite manager and his ability to improve year on year. 

Villa really are back, and now they just need some shiny props to prove the point. 

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

Soccer fans in Canada can watch every Premier League match during the 2025-26 season on DAZN.

With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga, and more.

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