This article is part of our team-by-team guide to the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Team overview
- League Position: 6th
- Champions League: Quarter-finals
- FA Cup: Semi-finals
- EFL Cup: Fourth round
- Top scorer: Ollie Watkins (16)
Season review
Aston Villa missed out on a Champions League spot on the final day, but they continued to exceed expectations under Unai Emery.
The Villains had plenty of highs across the 2024/25 campaign, including a return to Wembley, a run to the last eight of the Champions League, and an impressive finish to the league campaign.
Villa won nine of their final 14 league games, which was the joint-highest tally in that spell. Emery’s side ultimately missed out on the top five on goal difference, but their main issues came earlier in the campaign.
Villa’s Champions League run had a real impact on their league form early on, as they won just one of their eight league games directly after their League Phase assignments.
A busy January window added depth, which saw Emery’s team adjust to their busy fixture list in the second half of the season. They made the FA Cup semi-finals while juggling their push for a Champions League spot, suggesting the Villains can make a Europa League run while pushing to return to Europe’s top table.
If Villa are to mix it with Europe’s elite again, they’ll need to improve on the road. Nine of their 10 defeats this term came away from Villa Park, while they claimed one point from a possible 18 away to their fellow top seven sides.
Key stat: Villa won only one of their eight games following League Phase matches in the Champions League
Transfer window preview
Emi Martinez was already being linked with a move away from Villa Park, but his red card at Old Trafford on the final day likely increased his chances of leaving.
Without Champions League football, Villa will likely need to plug a gap in their finances, despite already making PSR-influenced decisions to sell Douglas Luiz and Jhon Duran in the last 12 months.
The Villains will need to make decisions on retaining January loanees Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, alongside bringing in new faces.
If Villa are going to part with some prized assets, Ollie Watkins’ future will likely be under scrutiny once again. The forward was left out of the starting lineup for both meetings with PSG, while he had interest elsewhere in January.
Outright odds: 40/1
Top 4 odds: 5/2
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The post Premier League 2025/26 Team Guides: Aston Villa appeared first on Free Football Tips.
