Unai Emery issues Arsenal Premier League title verdict ahead of ‘big challenge’ v Aston Villa

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Arsenal face their first away trip of the 2024/25 season with a trip to Villa Park on the cards.

Unai Emery will come face to face with his former club once again, as Arsenal look to redeem themselves against their previous manager. 

Last season, Mikel Arteta failed to win against his countryman, as two defeats to Aston Villa in the Premier League caused Arsenal’s title hopes to suffer. 

Now, the two sides meet again, with Emery ready to be tested against the club that sacked him five years ago. 

• READ MORE: Arsenal’s first five 2024/25 Premier League fixtures compared with title rivals Liverpool and Man City

Unai Emery shares Arsenal verdict ahead of Aston Villa clash

Emery’s time at Arsenal was opposed to his time at Villa, with the Spaniard’s methods far more accepted in the Midlands than they were in North London.

Leading up to the game, Arteta was asked whether he wants to get the better of the former Arsenal boss personally after last season, to which he admitted he doesn’t “do things personally”.

Emery shared a mutual level of respect when evaluating the Gunners’ squad ahead of the fixture, where he predicted Villa to face a “big challenge” at home. 

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“They [Arsenal] are progressing a lot, they are improving a lot and they are being very competitive, more and more,” Emery explained.

“It’s a big challenge for us. They are favourites against us and contenders to win the Premier League and be in the top four.”

The stakes are always subtly higher when a manager faces their former club, with a lot on the line for both Villa and Arsenal so early into the season.

Emery’s record at Aston Villa compared to Arsenal

Arsenal fans couldn’t wait to see the back of Emery when his time in North London came to an end however, it is uplifting for some to see the Spaniard doing so well at Villa.

What is fascinating are the similarities between the manager’s record at Villa compared to the record that saw him dismissed from his position at the Emirates. 

As seen in the table above, the distance between Emery’s tenure at Arsenal in comparison to his time at Villa is incredibly thin, reinforcing his success in Birmingham. 

The fixture at Villa Park will be a significant challenge for both sides, who are on their own paths to success as the Gunners challenge for the title and Villa aim to repeat their fourth-place finish of 2023/24.