Aston Villa news: Unai Emery lauded as Villa navigate "weird situation"

Unai Emery celebrates an Aston Villa goal (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Unai Emery was a joyful figure as he walked down the Villa Park touchline at the end of Aston Villa’s biggest result in 42 years.

Back in 1982, Peter Withe had famously scored the winner against Bundesliga giants, Bayern Munich, in that year’s European Cup final.

Unai Emery bringing the glory days back to Aston Villa

Fast forward to 2024, and Jhon Duran was the hero, firing in a magnificent winner late in the second half. The goal and manner of Villa’s performance even had his manager and Prince William enthused after the game.

Duran has been a divisive figure but former Villa striker, Stan Collymore, who was in attendance on Wednesday night, was delighted that lightning had struck twice.

“The performance and result against Bayern Munich was great for everyone and particularly the younger Villa fans that haven’t seen anything like this in their lifetimes. Everybody left Villa Park in good spirits at the end of the game, walking off and singing songs,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

It wasn’t just at Villa where supporters will have been cock-a-hoop either. In fact, fans of all of the English clubs in the Champions League will be rightly happy.

“This week’s Champions League fixtures have been excellent for the English clubs. Liverpool have played two and won two, Villa have played two and won two, City and Arsenal are both on four points after much improved performances,” Collymore added.

“A clean sheet for Arsenal against PSG, one for Villa against Bayern…”

Of course, with the new format of the competition (detailed by UEFA), it will be all to play for right up until the final minute of the final game, which appears to be the precise scenario that UEFA were hoping for.

Collymore for one is into it.

“Before you might have had a Champions League group done and dusted after three or four games, whereas now I genuinely think, especially because you have this really weird situation of not playing teams home and away, everybody turns up. Everybody’s up for it,” he said.

“I’m really enjoying it. Enjoying watching English clubs navigate the Premier League and the ‘new’ Champions League. And so far so good.”

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