Thierry Henry next to Unai Emery
Credit: Imago
Alex Oakhill
Thu 18 December 2025 18:10, UK
Aston Villa are the form team in the Premier League right now, sitting just three points behind table-topping Arsenal.
Unai Emery’s side have now won nine consecutive games across all competitions, as well as 10 of their last 11 in the top-flight.
Morgan Rogers grabbed a second-half brace against West Ham on Sunday as the Midlands outfit continued their incredible form with a 3-2 victory at the London Stadium.
Emery is rightly getting all the plaudits for Villa’s recent run, but Thierry Henry has revealed his surprise at what the Spaniard has been doing.
Thierry Henry thought it was the end for Unai Emery
Emery came under real pressure at the start of the season as the Villans failed to win a single one of their first five games.
The Midlands side were languishing in the Premier League relegation zone towards the end of September, but have completed a remarkable turnaround in the last three months.
Villa are now up to third in the table, within touching distance of Manchester City and Arsenal, and have a chance of mounting an unlikely title charge after beating both at Villa Park.
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Former Gunners star Henry has revealed that he did not see the Aston Villa turnaround coming at all, and feared for Emery’s future at the club after the poor start to the season.
Speaking via major bookmakers, the Premier League legend said: “I have to give Unai Emery a lot of credit because, come on, no one saw that coming.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery looking happy while clapping
Credit: Imago
“The results Villa were getting, they looked lost. They looked like they were not going to be at it. We were looking at it like, is this going to be the end?
“But, wow, you have to give Emery his credit. He always finds a way.”
Unai Emery is defying the odds at Aston Villa
What makes Villa’s current league position even more unbelievable is the fact that they are so clinical in front of goal.
In terms of expected points, according to Opta, Emery’s side are the fifth-worst team in the Premier League, sitting on 17.7.
Their actual points tally (33) makes a mockery of the statistics and highlights how Emery is defying the odds with Villa’s superb form.
The main reason for the huge disparity is the fact that the Midlands side are outperforming their xG by 7.9.
Aston Villa Expected Actual
Points 17.7 33
Goals Scored 17.1 25
Goals Conceded 22 17
Aston Villa are outperforming expectations
While some people would argue that this is unsustainable, the likes of Rogers are exceptional finishers and regularly score difficult chances.
Rogers and others are more than capable of continuing to outperform expectations, which would see Villa maintain their position towards the top of the Premier League.
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