Aston Villa have just had the kind of season that makes their fans forget every painful year in between. A top-five Premier League finish, a proper European adventure, and Unai Emery looking like a genius every single week. Fair play to them — as a Manchester United fan, that sentence genuinely hurts to write, but credit where it is due.
The Europa League run was the stuff Villa supporters will be talking about for years. They handled some serious opposition with a confidence and organisation that most clubs in England simply cannot produce right now. Emery turned them into a proper footballing side, not just a team that relies on one good player and a bit of luck.
So the big question is how they actually improve on that. And it is a genuinely interesting one because the jump from where they are to the very top is still significant. Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool — those clubs have infrastructure, squad depth, and financial muscle that Villa are still building towards. The gap is closing, but it is still there.
The smart move for Villa is to keep the core of the squad together and add quality rather than quantity. They do not need a complete rebuild — they need two or three players who genuinely raise the level. A world-class central midfielder and maybe another attacker who can carry the weight when Ollie Watkins has a quiet spell. Keeping hold of their best players will also be tested hard this summer, because bigger clubs will absolutely come sniffing.
Emery is the real foundation here though. He has been in these situations before and he knows how to manage expectation while still pushing for more. If Villa can hold their nerve in the transfer window, avoid panic buys, and back the manager properly, there is no reason why they cannot challenge for the top four consistently.
They are a proper club again, and that is not nothing. Let me know your thoughts.