Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has delivered a strong verdict on Everton’s new stadium following their 0-0 draw in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon. The Toffees are in the early days of a new chapter, marked by their move away from Goodison Park over the summer into a new state-of-the-art home.
Now under ambitious Texas-based ownership, with David Moyes embarking on his first full season back in charge since his bombshell return in January, Everton are aiming to pair stability off the pitch with a more fluid brand of football on it. The additions of Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish have given fans plenty of reasons for encouragement, and the blue half of Merseyside remain unbeaten at their £800 million new ground on the Bramley-Moore Dock early on.
Leaving behind Goodison Park - their historic home of 132 years - was always going to invite scrutiny over what came next. But while the transition could have been turbulent - with West Ham's move to the London Stadium proving newer doesn't always equate to better - the Hill Dickinson Stadium has so far been met with fanfare. And Emery has now added his voice to the growing list of positive reviews, as the Toffees settle into their new era with cautious optimism.
Unai Emery Hails Everton's New Hill Dickinson Stadium
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery gives the thumbs-up
Traditional four-sided stadiums are quickly becoming a thing of the past in English football, with more and more clubs moving away from the old-fashioned design in favour of bowl-shaped venues, which tend to risk draining the life and soul from historic clubs.
While new stadiums such as Leicester City’s King Power Stadium have sometimes received a bad rap, Emery praised Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium and expressed his hopes that Villa can achieve something similar by boosting attendances through the redevelopment of Villa Park. The Spaniard said, according to the Liverpool Echo:
“Everton are playing better, they are playing with confidence and they are playing here, excited with the new stadium - a fantastic stadium – with the supporters. I enjoyed a lot of the match, competing, suffering, but I enjoyed it and this is the way I want it.
“It is a fantastic stadium and of course they needed it, it is clear. Goodison Park is a very good stadium but old."
He added: “I like to play here. Villa Park is also old but it is a fantastic stadium as well and we are going to build there, and the club is going to add more supporters, another 10,000 I think, and it will be a fantastic atmosphere for us.”
Everton's Hill Dickinson stadium
Everton's Hill Dickinson stadium
Villa Park currently holds 42,918 but with Birmingham City Council approving expansion of the North Stand on August 28, the club are hoping to increase its capacity to over 50,000 by the second half of 2027, ahead of the following summer’s European Championships, where it will be a host venue alongside Everton’s stately new home.