Aston Villa are one of the teams who challenged for European places in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season.
Unai Emery’s men claimed the final UEFA Champions League spot to make a return to Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 1982.
The Villans took everyone by surprise last season as people did not expect them to contest for the Champions League spots at the expense of Manchester United and Chelsea, but they did and secured their place.
It was Emery’s first full season in charge of the Villa Park outfit, and he made a good account of himself yet again.
The Villans reached the final four of the UEFA Conference League alongside their incredible achievement in the Premier League.
To that effect, Aston Villa tickets will also see a surge in demand for the 2024/25 season.
With last season’s achievement behind them, we look at their chances of the side winning the 2024/25 Premier League title.
Aston Villa’s summer transfer window business so far
Before the end of the 2023/24 season, Aston Villa ensured that Emery’s contract was extended.
Following the renewal, Emery told the club website: “We are enjoying our way together with Villa fans, the club owners, management, and this great group of players that we are proud of.
“Me and the football management…we share the vision of the owners. Nassef [Sawiris] and Wes [Edens] are very supportive and respectful, and we have a good environment and the right structure to develop this football club.
“We must maintain the hard-working spirit, clever decisions, and coordination with the ownership that we have found during this time.
“We will work to get better and better. And we will demand from each other. Ambition already is, and must always be, the motto of this project.”
Emery, who took over at Villa from Steven Gerrard with the club in the bottom half of the Premier League table, has done a remarkable job.
As of the time of writing, Aston Villa have been one of the most active teams in the Premier League this summer. They have already captured the following players; Lewis Dobbin, Enzo Barrenechea, Samuel Iling-Junior, Ross Barkley, Ian Maatsen, Jaden Philogene, and Amadou Onana – their most expensive signing of the window and the perfect replacement for Douglas Luiz who left for Juventus.
In turn, Villa have also lost Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby, who both contributed with 14 goal involvements in the league last season.
At the same time, the likes of Morgan Sanson and Calum Chambers have departed. Meanwhile, new arrival Dobbin has also been sent to West Brom on loan.
Key players Ollie Watkins, who is one of the best strikers in the world, Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez, one of the top goalkeepers in the world, and Jhon Duran will be part of the group for this season, barring any change in the summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, Duran could still depart in the final weeks of the summer window amid interest from a host of clubs, including Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
Fellow Premier League side West Ham were close to signing the 20-year-old earlier this summer, but Villa turned down their final offer.
Following Diaby’s exit, Emery is still keen on signing another experienced forward for his side.
The Spanish coach is looking towards signing Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid as he believes he can help the 24-year-old rediscover his form after a turbulent couple of years.
Aston Villa’s chance in the Premier League
Aston Villa are heading into the 2024/25 Premier League campaign and is looking to build on its fantastic showing from last season.
Unai Emery’s side made a return to Europe’s elite competition in 1982, finishing fourth in the table — two points clear of Tottenham and also ahead of the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United.
“It was a great atmosphere here,” Emery said after his side’s defeat against Club America in their final pre-season game in the US.
“This match in pre-season was to try to find our feet and to show ourselves against América with a lot of Mexican fans here. That was good for the atmosphere and for us to face it.
“We played trying to get fit and to work on things tactically, trying to show with our performance where we’re going with different players. The result was not good, but it gave me a lot of information.”
Emery felt they accomplished a lot during their stay, even if results didn’t go their way.
He said: “We are preparing to start our season in two weeks. Progressively the level is getting better and we play another two matches next week.
“We are thinking about how we can build a team and progressively get the performances collectively like we want. There are players joining us next week, four important players.
“Some players joined us last week and are progressively playing more. We are not in our best moment of pre-season, but it’s normal.
“We lost three matches here, and we don’t like it, but we are accepting it because we are in the pre-season, and we are trying to get information out of the players.
“We were being competitive, and during the season in the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup, we will face a lot of matches with a similar atmosphere.”
Apart from losing Diaby and Luiz, Emery still has a lot of his stars available and will be hoping they can get their groove and help his side compete favorably.
Watkins was the hero for the Three Lions in their semifinal game against The Netherlands at the European Championships in Germany. Fresh from that exploit, the Striker is expected to lead the line for Emery’s side.
Free-spending Chelsea, Manchester United, and Tottenham will give their all to return to the Champions League next season.
So, Aston Villa should expect more competition this season from the aforementioned teams.
Without any doubt, the Premier League title race will not be one of their goals this season.
However, if they eventually find themselves there, they will compete. Realistically, the goal will be to remain in Europe at least.
As things stand, Villa are not favorites to even make a return to the UEFA Champions League at the end of the season.
So, anything Emery and his boys do will be considered an upset, given what their direct oppositions in the European slot race have done this summer.
