Deventer, Netherlands - 23 October 2025 - Unai Emery during the UEFA Europa League 2025-26 League Phase MD3 match between Go Ahead Eagles and Aston Villa FC
Deventer, Netherlands – 23 October 2025 – Unai Emery during the UEFA Europa League 2025-26 League Phase MD3 match between Go Ahead Eagles and Aston Villa FC
Aston Villa have enjoyed a good run since Unai Emery arrived at Villa Park in November 2022.
The Spaniard helped the Villans qualify for the Champions League during the 2024/25 season, their first time in UEFA’s elite competition in over 40 years. This season, Aston Villa are in the Europa League.
Emery’s side are now third in the Premier League, three points ahead of fourth placed Manchester United and six ahead of fifth placed Chelsea.
This puts the Villa Park club in the driving seat to return to the Champions League for the second time under Emery. Sport Witness have covered Spanish claims praising his work at Aston Villa.
Iago Aspas not entirely convinced
Not everyone agrees with the manager’s coaching techniques and methods, and this includes Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas. He has been speaking to Cadena Ser’s El Larguero and Mundo Deportivo have relayed his comments.
The 38-year-old is a product of Celta Vigo’s academy. He spent five years with their first team and left them for Liverpool in 2013. The striker failed to impress at Anfield and the Reds let him spend the 2014/15 season on loan at Sevilla.
Aspas played under the current Aston Villa boss at the Andalusian club and managed 10 goals and three assists from 25 matches. He went on to win the Europa League with Sevilla, the only success of his career so far. The attacker then returned to Celta in 2016.
Aston Villa manager’s methods questioned
Despite enjoying success under Emery, the Spaniard has questioned the coach. He used an example to explain his thoughts, and revealed some players found it difficult to understand the manager’s methods.
“When I was at Sevilla in 2014. [Emery] would give us 45 minutes of videos and some of us would fall asleep. There were people who didn’t understand. A Frenchman who’s just arrived at 9:30 in the morning isn’t going to understand if they show him 45 minutes of video analysing the opponent.
“Emery’s career didn’t go too badly either; it was excellent. Sometimes not everything works. Some foreigners would fall asleep,” he said.