After promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, very few Aston Villa supporters would have envisioned such a huge upturn in their standing in England’s top-flight.
From the days of Dean Smith to the tenure of Steven Gerrard, the Villans constantly found themselves languishing in the bottom half of the table and facing frequent relegation battles.
However, the club have become consistent European challengers under the guidance of Unai Emery, with the Spaniard taking the side to unimaginable heights.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery looks on before the match
At present, his side are set for a campaign to remember, with Villa currently sat in third place in the Premier League, whilst qualifying for the round of 16 in the Europa League.
The recent January transfer window handed the manager the perfect chance to improve the senior ranks, subsequently making a beeline to improve one area of the squad.
Aston Villa’s attempts to land a new talisman in January
Despite the form of Ollie Watkins, Villa made the addition of a new centre-forward a priority, as seen by their attempts to land Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Frenchman handed in a transfer request at Selhurst Park, with Emery’s side just one of multiple clubs that targeted a move to secure his signature before the recent deadline.
Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta reacts
However, given the reported £40m asking price, it was deemed too high for Villa, especially as the hierarchy kept one eye on their current PSR situation.
As a result, other options were considered to improve the attacking department, with Tammy Abraham the man the club decided to pursue and secure the signature of.
The Englishman joined Emery’s men in a deal worth a reported £18m, with the player returning to the club for a second time after previously spending a year on loan during the 2018/19 season.
His arrival has certainly provided a feel-good factor to the fanbase in the West Midlands, with real hope that the 28-year-old can emulate his success in the near future.
The former Villa star who’s now more clinical than Abraham & Mateta
Scoring goals is certainly the hardest aspect of the modern game, which explains why the figures quoted for proven goalscorers have become massively inflated in recent years.
Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace-1
Mateta has proven to be a clinical option in England’s top-flight over the last couple of years, with the Frenchman netting 22 league goals since the start of 2024/25.
As for new addition, Abraham, he too has been deadly in front of goal, netting 10 goals in the same period - with the majority of which coming on loan at Besiktas prior to his Villa Park return.
However, neither of the aforementioned pair have been able to get near the numbers produced by former Villan Christian Benteke, with the former fan-favourite recently thriving in the final third.
Back in the summer of 2012, the Belgian arrived as an unknown quantity to many, after joining Villa from Genk, subsequently costing a fee in the region of £7m.
christian-benteke-aston-villa
Such a fee would undoubtedly prove to be a bargain, as he racked up 101 appearances over a three-year period, with the forward tasked with finding the back of the net.
He would score a superb tally of 49 goals in such a period, even laying on 12 assists in that period - highlighting the quality he possessed in the final third in the West Midlands.
However, as a result of his remarkable feats at Villa Park, Benteke would depart the club in the summer of 2015, subsequently moving to Liverpool for a staggering £32.5m transfer fee.
His spell at Anfield was certainly one to forget, with the forward subsequently moving on to Crystal Palace after just one year - before leaving the Eagles in 2022.
Christian-Benteke
The Belgian has since moved to the MLS, spending just over three years at DC United - a period which has seen the 35-year-old regain his goalscoring touch in front of goal.
Since the start of 2024, he racked up 59 appearances for the American outfit, subsequently finding the back of the net on 34 occasions - a simply remarkable feat.
Christian Benteke - stats for DC United
Statistics (per 90)
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Yellow cards
Minutes played
Mins per goal
Mins per assist
Stats via Transfermarkt
Such a tally is way beyond the levels produced by the aforementioned Mateta and Abraham, showcasing that he’s been a more clinical option in the last few years.
There’s no denying that he’s been plying his trade in a lower quality division, but there’s little doubt that he’s once again found the goalscoring touch he demonstrated at Villa Park.
Benteke, who now plays for Al-Wahda in the UAE, was undoubtedly a fan-favourite during his time at Villa, with his goal-scoring form nothing short of incredible.
The moves for Mateta and Abraham have seen the club try to identify another top talisman, with real hope that the latter of the duo can be a hit once again in the West Midlands.
Abraham
If he does manage to emulate the recent goalscoring form of the Belgian, there’s no reason why the Englishman can’t help the club endure a season to remember come the end of May.
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