Quite a way to bring up the half century. Unai Emery’s 50th match in charge of Aston Villa, the club where he arrived as manager less than 14 months ago when they were 17th in the Premier League, ranks as his finest in terms of the prestige of the opponents.
Manchester City, defeated 1-0, may not be in the best of form by their standards, but of all City’s recent setbacks – four matches without a win – Wednesday’s left them with fewest alibis.
The English and European champions have been leapfrogged in the table by a dynamic Villa, whose manager was praised by Pep Guardiola, his City counterpart, listing the qualities of the league’s sharpest risers.
“The organisation from Unai Emery, their physicality, their tempo, their speed, the bench, their high pressing, incredible defenders in the back four, the goalkeeper. That’s the reasons they are up there. We have to accept when a team is better than us.”
All this, said Guardiola, makes Villa contenders for a title City have claimed five times in the last six years.
Emery will park that idea, at least for a day or two, in the full knowledge that if his 51st match as Villa’s great transformer earns a fourth win in five, the question about an unlikely tilt at winning the Premier League will be asked even louder.
Arsenal, the league’s leaders are at Villa Park on Saturday, and that’s a resonant fixture for Emery. If overcoming Guardiola – in 14 meetings Emery had never previously won that managerial duel – was a feather in his cap, victory over his ex-employer would mean even more.
Just over four years ago, Arsenal sacked Emery, his 18-month stay terminated after a run of seven games without a win. The process began to appoint Mikel Arteta, then Guardiola’s assistant, as his successor.
Emery felt the dismissal had been brutal, but still had the courtesy to speak to Arteta, who comes from the same part of Spain’s Basque Country as he does, about the job the younger man was coming into, offering guidance and advice.
Some of it, certainly the parts about Arsenal’s potential, was wise. Since the beginning of last season, Arteta’s Arsenal have led the Premier League table for longer than any other club, reeled in by City only in the last month of 2022-23.
But there were some uncertain times in the first two years of Arteta’s tenure. In terms of rapid impact, Arteta can only look at Emery at Villa with envy. Arteta’s 148 Premier League matches in charge of Arsenal have yielded an average of 1.91 points. Emery’s 40 league games since replacing Steven Gerrard at Villa trump that: 2.03 points.
There have been seasons in which that sort of form would have been enough to win the league, but not so much in recent memory. When Arteta told his players that to still be top of the table in May the target must be set at a minimum of 96 points, he was pitching high, but within the kind of ball park that City have normalised during their period of supremacy.
Yet this season has an unusual feel, hinting at the possibility an outsider could disrupt the traditional hierarchy. In the last two weeks, the Premier League has turned wild: Not only that City are on their leanest sequence since Guardiola began to shape them into the most well-ordered team in Europe, but that everyone in the upper reaches of the table is liable to sudden ambush.
Arsenal only escaped dropping points at lowly Luton Town on Tuesday thanks to a stoppage time winner from Declan Rice, the seventh goal of the evening. Second-placed Liverpool had two days earlier scraped a 4-3 win having trailed Fulham at Anfield until the 87th minute.
Arsenal 2 Wolves 1: Player ratings
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ARSENAL RATINGS. Had nothing to do in the first-half with his side completely in control. Routine save from Cunha after the break. Reuters -
Another solid display sadly ended by a calf injury late on. Defensively competent and backed up Saka on the right. Reuters -
Relatively untroubled. Was his usual self with the ball, starting attacks and feeding accurate passes into midfield. Getty Images -
Had a good battle with compatriot Cunha, missed a decent headed chance from a teasing Saka cross. Getty Images -
Such a strange game. Fabulous assist for Odegaard's goal. playing a one-two with Jesus and delivering a pinpoint cut back. Then handed Wolves a goal with some poor defending. EPA -
Bossed the midfield. Got through plenty of work and used the ball well. AFP -
Really encouraging display, always involved, looking to probe and play balls in behind for Saka and Jesus. Scored a great goal. AFP -
Decent game as an advanced midfielder. Had one decent chance in the first half as he brought down a cross with a sublime touch but was denied by Sa. PA -
On fire in the first half. Scored a trademark goal and caused Wolves all sorts of problems with his clever movement and runs. AFP -
He may not score as many people would like, but he's always involved and had a hand in both first-half goals. EPA -
Plenty of lung-busting runs. Excellent defensive work to cover for a Zinchenko mistake in the first half and then hit the post moments later. EPA -
ARSENAL SUBS. (on for Jesus, 67'): Hit the post with late chance. Should have scored. PA -
(On for Martinelli, 77'): Helped his side see out the win as they wobbled late on. AFP -
(On for Tomiyasu, 79'): Came on for the closing stages in what was a nervy finish for the Gunners; Kiwior (on for Saka, 93'): N/A; Jorginho (on for Odegaard, 93'): N/A. EPA -
WOLVES RATINGS. Picked the ball out of his net twice before injury ended his involvement in the first half. PA -
Operating on the left of the back-three took him into Saka's orbit - and he struggled. Reuters -
Like all Wolves defenders he had a difficult day, struggled with the movement all around him. Some decent diagonal passes to get his team out. PA -
Not his finest game and got away with one as he pulled back Jesus with the Arsenal striker poised to head home. Getty Images -
Fairly effective on the ball but given a torrid time defensively by Saka. Getty Images -
Pressed and harried and did his best in the face of a dominant Arsenal midfield display. Put in one particularly dangerous free-kick in the first half. Reuters -
Thankless task of trying to stem the Arsenal tide. Some nice touches but made very little impact. AP -
Another midfielder to have a tough afternoon. Hard to do much when the opposition have 70-plus per cent possession and pass rings around you. Getty Images -
Did his best defensively but offered little going forward which is supposed to be his forte. AP -
Offered nothing and not much else you can say. AP -
Wolves' most effective player. Did his best to take the game to Arsenal and it was usually all his own work. Clinical finish late on. Reuters -
WOLVES SUBS. (On for Sa, 23'). Never easy coming on as a sub goalkeeper but Bentley did a solid job even if Arsenal had taken their foot off the gas. Reuters -
(On for Bueno, 62'): Looked to be positive and defended adequately. Sarabia (on for Bellegarde, 62'): 6. Kalajdzic (on for Doyle, 93'): N/A. PA
Villa are not immune to these sorts of slip-up. Last weekend, they twice had to come from behind to take a point from Bournemouth – 15th in the table but rising – and last month lost at Nottingham Forest – 16th and falling – but what emboldens them is a terrific confidence at home.
It is explicit in the high line they dare to operate across a defence arranged well ahead of the ebulliently daring Emi Martinez in goal, in the proactive drive of John McGinn in midfield and, against City, in the focus of Leon Bailey, whose deflected shot gave Villa their three points.
It is heard in the roar of an atmospheric arena where five years ago supporters were watching a third successive season of Championship football. It is spelled out in the impeccable 21 points Villa have taken from their home games so far. Arsenal may have the best away record in the Premier League this season, but they are heading to the hardest place there is to maintain it.
Lose there and Arteta will see Emery looming right up behind him, the gap between Villa and Arsenal closed to a single point.
Title contenders? “There are seven teams who are better contenders than us,” insists Emery. Fact is, he is now looking down the table at five of them.
