Aston Villa 2025-26 preview: Unai Emery aiming to maintain momentum and avoid 'third season syndrome'

Ron Atkinson, Brian Little and Dean Smith all celebrated their third anniversary in charge but never reached the fourth. Graham Taylor, admittedly, left on a high to take the England job in 1990 after guiding the club to a second-placed Division One finish in his third season at the helm.

The only Villa manager since Ron Saunders to make it to their fourth anniversary was Martin O’Neill and even that was only a matter of days before he dramatically stormed out in August, 2010. It had also been during the Irishman’s third season in charge when things first began to unravel, after the ill-fated Moscow surrender.

There is no suggestion Emery’s reign, by any measure the most successful since Saunders, is about to crumble anytime soon.

Even so, this coming season feels a particularly important one, with the challenge of maintaining the momentum built ever since he worked through the door in November 2022 harder than ever.

Last season was, by almost every measure, another of progress for Villa, featuring another high-placed Premier League finish, a deep run in the FA Cup and most impressively of all, a Champions League quarter-final.

Yet the failure to find a glorious finish in a campaign fought for so long on three fronts left an undoubted air of what might have been?

Had Villa finished their first season back in Europe’s elite club competition by qualifying for it again, something which has proved beyond so many outside the so-called Big Six, it would have arguably represented the greatest achievement of Emery’s reign so far.

Instead, the failure to get over the line on the final day at Manchester United felt like the first notable setback and the knock-on effect has been felt this summer, with the club operating on a far tighter budget than they would have done had they held out for a draw at Old Trafford, or Morgan Rogers’ goal have stood.

At the time of writing, goalkeeper Marco Bizot has been the only senior addition to the squad, while it would be quicker to list those Villa players who have not been linked with possible moves away.

The good news, at least, is even with no movement Emery already has a very strong squad in place. 

That last day nightmare against United might have clouded the mood but the statistics show Villa’s form over the final months of the season was matched only by champions Liverpool. When everyone is fully fit, there are few other units which can match their strength in depth.

Loan stars Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford are, admittedly, notable departures but in terms of numbers, presuming there are no high-profile departures, there is not a huge amount which needs to come through the door. 

Emery, of course, would like to add the one or two quality players required sooner rather than later. Yet no huge overhaul is required.

Among the Villa manager’s greatest assets is his ability to improve players already at his disposal. Youri Tielemans’ considerable improvement in his second year on the club’s books is testament to the skill of the Spaniard and his extensive coaching staff.

More will be expected, this season, from £50million record signing Amadou Onana, while forward Donyell Malen’s progress will be of particular interest. The Netherlands international’s £21m arrival in January became overshadowed by those of Asensio and Rashford and he was subsequently omitted from the Champions League squad. Yet despite making only two Premier League starts, there were enough glimpses to suggest he could prove a successful signing in the long-term.

Emery will, as always, prioritise the league above other competitions, though the challenge of getting into the top four, or five, has never appeared tougher with Chelsea, on paper, appearing stronger than they did last term.

While the Europa League is not where Villa would ideally like to be playing, the competition does offer a valid second route into the Champions League and a chance to end the club’s near three decade-long major trophy drought.