Unai Emery was the initial choice for Arsenal when Arsene Wenger departed the club in 2018.
The Spaniard arrived at the Emirates with a solid reputation in European football, having previously won the French Ligue 1 title with PSG.
However, his tenure at Arsenal lasted only 18 months before he lost the support of the dressing room, leading to his departure and the appointment of Mikel Arteta as his successor.
Now, Emery finds himself back in the Premier League as the manager of Aston Villa. His tenure with Villa has been marked by impressive results, guiding the team to a position in the top five of the league table.
Emery’s next challenge comes against his former club, Arsenal, as Villa aims to disrupt Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title. It will be a return to familiar territory for Emery, who will be eager to leave his mark at his old stomping ground.
Emery knows the ground very well, but will it be an advantage for his team? The Spaniard said to Aston Villa Media:
“Not really, I think it’s a different context, different circumstances.
“It’s not really something more than playing against them, with the difficultly we are going to face and respecting them.”
