Guardian s forward-looking & forecast: Villa still wins fifth in the Premier League, Emery will strive for his fifth UEFA Europa League

The 25-26 Premier League season will open next week. The Guardian wrote an article to look forward to the new season, and they predicted that Aston Villa will finish fifth in the Premier League.

Optimism

The many wonderful moments of last season are worthy of reminiscence by Villa fans, especially in the Champions League, which Villa eventually entered the quarterfinals. They beat Bayern at home and were indistinguishable from the final champion Paris. In addition, Villa reached the FA Cup semi-finals and was later eliminated by Crystal Palace.

In terms of players, Morgan Rodgers has become one of the hottest new stars in the Premier League, and midfielder Tilemans has continued his outstanding performance. But Villa also had regrets last season. They lost to Manchester United in the final game and missed the Champions League in the new season due to a goal difference.

When I came to the team three years ago, Emery expressed his desire for a trophy, but this goal has not been achieved yet. Two years ago, Villa lost 2-6 to Olympiacos in the European Union semi-finals, and this loss was heartbreaking. Now, Emery will lead the team to the UEFA Cup field he is most familiar with.

Under Emery's leadership, this team has taken shape, but is there still room for improvement? Except for the 34-year-old goalkeeper Bizzot introduced from Brest as the No. 2 goalkeeper, Villa did not strengthen the first team lineup, and they paid the Dutch goalkeeper a six-figure transfer fee. Villa lost to Manchester City in the competition for Nipan. They originally hoped to sign Lille goalkeeper Celvalier, provided that a seller could meet Martinez's price tag, but now Celvalier seems to be about to join Paris.

Improving a strong team is not easy, especially if PSR rules are followed. The lineup with Watkins as the core is comparable to most league opponents; in the past five seasons, Kane has only one English player who scored goals and assists in the top five leagues.

In the first round of the new season, Villa will face Newcastle at home, which is also affected by financial restrictions. Villa's start seemed easy, and before the October international match day, they only had to face Newcastle and Brentford, two top 10 teams last season. It should be noted that Villa had a strong start last season, losing only one of his first 13 games, but the subsequent intensive schedule caused Villa's record to decline.

He is "like a robot", Emery described himself as such at the end of last season, focusing on every detail and being strict with himself, his staff and his players. Emery is a ball-lottery, and he can draw inspiration from a giant like Paris to Andorra.

Emery watches game videos on the exercise bike or takes notes on the rowing machine, and the workaholic sometimes uses reading to control his emotions. Emery has won the UEFA Cup four times and he has a chance to raise that number to five this season.

Off-court dynamics

Selling women's teams is an important business decision to comply with PSR regulations. Selling key players like Martinez can improve Villa's flexibility in the transfer market, but they don't have much pressure to sell such core "assets".

This summer, Calvo became Villa's new president of commercial operations, and his long-term goal is to "make the club successful at all levels." Villa then launched plans such as rising season ticket prices, reconstruction of the North Stand (which will make Villa Park more than 50,000 people), a series of concerts, and hosting the English rugby game.

Important Signing

Although there are not many signings, French midfielder Kamala renewed a five-year contract, which made Villa fans very happy. In 2022, Gerald persuaded Kamala to come to Villa, and now he has become one of Emery's key players. Kamara missed the game early last season due to an ACL injury, but he is ready to make a big move in the new season. Emery believes that Kamala is indispensable and his stay in the team is a great benefit for the team.

Rise of Rising Stars

It is worth noting whether forward Redmond can make a difference in the new season. In the Champions League round of 16 in February this year, Redmond, who is less than 19 years old, started for Feyenoord. In the European Under 19 Championship, Redmond scored two goals against England. Although he missed his pre-season trip to the United States due to injury, he could be Emery's surprise on the front line. 18-year-old midfielder Aloba also participated in the preseason with the team, and he was part of the Youth FA Cup championship team last season.

Mullen's important season

Mullen transferred to Villa from Dortmund in January this year. After Villa tried to sign him in the previous season but failed. The temptation of the Champions League finally made Mullen decide to join, with a transfer fee of 20 million pounds. However, only 12 days after Mallen joined, as the UEFA registration deadline approached, Villa chose to register Rashford and Asensio, excluding Mallen from the European Cup roster. Mullen scored goals in three consecutive Premier League games in April, but he only won two starts in the Premier League, both before the climax of that goal. There is no doubt that more opportunities are waiting for him.