Thursday, November 21, 2024
Sport

Looking Ahead: Aston Villa 2024/25 Season Preview

Andrew Macfarlane

Unai Emery has completely transformed Aston Villa since his arrival at the club. He has turned the club’s fortunes around and has solidified his reputation as one of the best managers in the world.

The Villains have had a torrid time in recent history, with many of their campaigns ending in disappointment. The club had found it difficult to compete in the Premier League and even struggled in the Championship when trying to restore the prestige and honour they have accumulated over their 150-year existence. The last five have meant they established themselves as a top-flight side once again.

However, things have turned around under the Spaniard, and they will be celebrating the 150th season of the club with a return to European football after an exceptional Premier League campaign. Things definitely look bright ahead for those at Villa Park.

What can be expected of Aston Villa this season?

After acquiring an unexpected fourth-placed finish in the 2023/24 Premier League season, there will be many around Birmingham and further afield who will be hyped up with anticipation about what the upcoming campaign will provide them with.

The Premier League will likely once again be the primary aim for the club, finishing as high as they can, but some fans will be looking forward to the glory days of being back in European competition.

The Villains were last in the UEFA Champions League in 1982–83, meaning there will be an entire generation of fans looking forward to what could be in store for the club across the season. They will be in either Pot 3 or 4, meaning they will face some European heavyweights once the draw for the groups has been made.

Villa’s inclusion in the UCL will provide a new type of entertainment to the club’s faithful this season, something previous generations won’t have experienced. Fans have always been seeking new ways to live their passion. Watching documentaries about their favourite teams or playing football-themed video games has always proven popular, with Football Manager and FIFA topping the list. There are even themed casino games, with slot titles like “Football Star”, “Golden Goal”, and “Football Champions Cup”. Several sites such as William Hill Casino or Fafabet Casino offer the ability to play these slots thanks to special casino offers.

Who are the players to watch in 2024/25?

It will certainly be tougher this year, given the departures that have been experienced, but there has been some impressive business conducted at Villa Park.

The departure of Douglas Luiz will be one of the biggest to be felt at Villa this season, with the Brazilian having been an integral part of the club’s strategy on the pitch. He and Moussa Diaby were sold for hefty transfer fees due to PSL reasons, which could prove costly.

Nonetheless, while the club kept many of its core players, including the likes of Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins, Emery has managed to add a blend of youth and experience to his side to help them with their upcoming season.

Ross Barkley has returned to the club after an impressive spell at Luton Town. At the same time, Ian Maatsen has arrived from Chelsea after making his own impression while on loan at Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea arrived from Juventus, while a reported £50 million was spent on acquiring Amadou Onana from Everton.

Watkins will undoubtedly be the player to watch closely at Villa Park once again this season, with the forward continuing to show what he is worth on the biggest stages. He managed to score a last-gasp winner against The Netherlands at Euro 2024 in the semifinal, in a year in which he scored 19 goals in the Premier League (his best-ever) and provided 13 assists (the most by any player in the league). These figures led him to being shortlisted for the 2023/24 PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.

Aston Villa 2024/25 Predictions

Although the addition of the UCL doesn’t mean there will be extra football this season following their conquests in the UEFA Europa Conference League and reaching the semi-finals, it will likely be a tougher campaign given the quality of the teams that they are likely to face.

The teams that finished around them in last year’s Premier League efforts have also significantly improved, which could make it more difficult for Emery’s side to replicate what they had achieved.

Nonetheless, we should still expect to see the Spaniard work his magic, and with days left in the summer transfer window, who knows what business may still be completed.

At the moment, finishing sixth at the end of the season might be something that might just happen and will probably keep the Villa Park faithful happy, especially as last year’s fourth finish was so unexpected.