What a season it was for Aston Villa and Unai Emery, who secured Champions League football for the 2024/25 campaign with a fourth-place finish.
In his first full season at Villa, Emery fired his squad to their first top-four Premier League finish since the 1995/96 campaign, returning the club among Europe’s elite.
The Spaniard has received high praise for his work at Villa Park after taking over from Steven Gerrard in October 2022, arriving when the squad sat down in 16th in the table.
The former Arsenal boss carried the Villans to a seventh-place finish in the 2022/23 calendar, confirming their place in the Europa Conference League.
Villa reached the semi-finals of the tournament, missing out on the final after being well-beaten by Olympiacos over two legs, one of the few low points of the campaign.
While the manager will rightfully earn praise for his work in improving his players and the club as a whole, credit must be given to the efforts of the squad, with a host of Emery’s talents standing out as top performers.
Here’s how the Villa squad faired over Emery’s first full campaign at Villa Park in our end-of-season player ratings for 2023/24…
Aston Villa goalkeepers rated in 2023/24
Emi Martinez – 9/10
It’s no surprise to see Emi Martinez scoring highly in the ratings given his presence in Emery’s squad between the posts.
The Argentine was Villa’s shining light throughout the campaign, particularly showing his world-class ability in the Europa Conference League quarter-final against Lille.
When Villa were without their first-choice goalkeeper, it became abundantly clear just how irreplaceable he is to Emery and the way his side plays.
Robin Olsen – 5/10
When Martinez suffered an injury and a suspension in the Europa Conference League semi-final, Robin Olsen was called into action and unfortunately fell way short of the Argentine.
While the 34-year-old showcased several impressive saves during his cameo towards the end of the season, his numbers weren’t pretty, conceding an average of 2.6 goals per game in the Premier League, via Sofascore.
Aston Villa defenders rated in 2023/24
Pau Torres – 8/10
Signed in the summer by Emery from his former club Villarreal, Pau Torres had an exemplary debut season in the Premier League, showing his worth for Villa.
The Spaniard was dubbed a ‘Rolls-Royce’ by TNT Sports commentator Lucy Ward during the campaign, telling of how seamlessly he fitted into the manager’s back four.
A master of progressive play, Villa have elevated the way they play from the back thanks to the presence of Torres, whose £33m price tag has proven to be a bargain.
Ezri Konsa – 9/10
Leading the way in the Premier League’s best tackle success rate is Ezri Konsa, who showed exemplary form throughout the campaign for Villa.
The ‘incredible’ 26-year-old, as lauded by Matty Cash, played at both centre-back and right-back in Emery’s system, adapting to his role on the right with ease and being a constant shining light for the Midlands club.
Diego Carlos – 7/10
After his first season at Villa was dismantled by injury, Diego Carlos showed his worth this campaign, filling in when needed to play crucial roles in the Europa Conference League and the Premier League.
The Brazilian was the firm number three behind Konsa and Torres for Emery, with the question now being whether the 31-year-old will be at Villa Park next season.
Clement Lenglet – 6/10
Arriving on a season-long loan from Barcelona was Clement Lenglet, bringing experience to the squad.
While the Frenchman provided much-needed cover during Villa’s injury-ridden campaign, it would seem unlikely that the Midlands club will sign the 28-year-old permanently as his performances were rarely eye-catching.
Calum Chambers – 5.5/10
Patience can sum up Calum Chambers’ season, as the Englishman remained at Villa Park despite the side being open to his sale in the previous two transfer windows.
Making just eight appearances throughout the entirety of the 2023/24 calendar, the defender acted as a top professional when needed however, it’s likely that he will now be offloaded this summer.
Alex Moreno – 6/10
After impressing over the 2022/23 campaign, it was a frustrating season for Alex Moreno, who missed the start of the term due to injury.
The Spaniard also ended the season injured, making his game time harder to come by in between as Lucas Digne became the preferred starter at left-back.
Lucas Digne – 6.5/10
Prior to the season, it was expected that Digne would depart however, the Frenchman remained at Villa Park which turned out to be the best result for Emery.
While there were some expected moments of defensive frailty, the 30-year-old’s experience and quality in playing progressively shone through, handing the manager something the squad has been missing in an attacking fullback.
Matty Cash – 6/10
Aside from Digne and Moreno, Matty Cash is the only remaining player identifiable as a defender who enjoys flying forward.
It was a difficult campaign for the 26-year-old, who struggled to convince Emery that he was worthy of being Villa’s first-choice right-back, with some of his displays frustrating fans.
Aston Villa midfielders rated in 2023/24
Boubacar Kamara – 7/10
Despite his season agonisingly ending in February after suffering an ACL injury, it would be difficult not to rate Boubacar Kamara’s campaign highly.
When the midfielder was absent, the presence he brought to Villa’s engine room was clear as form and strength in the central areas broke down.
There will be hope that the 24-year-old will be available soon into the 2024/25 campaign, with his quality so important to the way Emery’s side play.
Douglas Luiz – 7/10
Undoubtedly, the player most affected by Kamara’s absence was Douglas Luiz, whose form significantly dipped after his counterpart’s injury.
Many fans suggested that the Brazilian was missing his teammate in the latter stages of the season however, it was still a mostly-strong campaign by Villa’s skilful number six.
John McGinn 9/10
John McGinn seems to go from strength to strength at Villa, with the 2023/24 season one of his best in claret and blue.
The Scotsman featured on the wing, in midfield and the front line of attack during the campaign, seeing his efforts lauded as ‘amazing’ by Emery for his approach in the dressing room.
From the Championship to the Champions League, McGinn has been one constant force in Villa’s midfield.
Youri Tielemans – 8/10
It was a slow-burning start to the season for Youri Tielemans, who began his first term at Villa slightly disgruntled at his lack of gametime.
That was until the Belgian showed his undroppable quality playing as Villa’s second striker, with his creative mystery prevailing.
Ending his first season with Villa with two goals and six assists in the Premier League rounded off an encouraging debut campaign for Tielemans.
Tim Iroegbunam – 6/10
After an impressive loan spell at QPR over the 2022/23 campaign, there was hope that Tim Iroegbunam would break through at Villa.
Unfortunately, the midfielder’s season was limited to 526 minutes in all competitions, with him failing to significantly impress when given the opportunity.
It will be interesting to see how Emery approaches the subject of the 20-year-old’s future, with Iroegbunam still looking to be far down the pecking order.
Jacob Ramsey – 4/10
The lowest-scoring Villa player in our ratings is Jacob Ramsey, for reasons far from his quality.
After the Englishman missed the start of the campaign due to suffering a broken foot in the summer, his season only continued to be limited by injury.
Ramsey also missed the last 10 games, seeing his 2023/24 calendar simmer down to just eight Premier League starts in what was poised to be a strong season for the 22-year-old.
Aston Villa forwards rated in 2023/24
Nicolo Zaniolo – 5/10
Another low scorer is Nicolo Zaniolo, who looked to be a high-quality signing when he arrived at Villa on loan from Galatasaray in the summer.
Instead, the Italian’s season can only be described as lacklustre, as he scored two goals and recorded no assists in the Premier League, nailing down only nine starts.
It would be a shock to see Villa sign the 24-year-old permanently, with the audition going far from as hoped.
Morgan Rogers – 8/10
Contrasting to Zaniolo was Morgan Rogers, who excelled in his first experiences at Villa after arriving in January from the Championship.
Emery consistently reminded the Englishman that he was a ‘Championship player’, tough love that got the best out of the versatile forward, who showed he can be a strong force in the future for the Villans.
Moussa Diaby – 6.5/10
Another player who experienced their first season at Villa in 2023/24 was Moussa Diaby, who was signed for a club-record fee of £51.9m in the 2023 summer transfer window.
After seeing what the Frenchman did in the Bundesliga, it’s fair to say that his first term at Villa was mildly underwhelming, as he struggled to impress Emery enough to be considered a consistent starter in the side.
Still, ending the season with 19 goal contributions in all competitions shows that there is a talent there for the manager to further discover next term.
Leon Bailey – 8.5/10
What a season it was for Leon Bailey, who truly turned his Villa career around.
The Jamaican had shown glimpses of his quality under Emery in the 2022/23 campaign however, lost his place in the starting XI as the new season started, with work to be done to convince the boss.
The 26-year-old contributed to 19 goals in the Premier League in 2023/24, seeing his form take a significant climb, as he was awarded a new contract.
There is certainly more to see from the winger, who was one of Villa’s most exciting figures.
Ollie Watkins – 9.5/10
The standout performer for Villa was Ollie Watkins, for reasons that need little explanation.
Hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Alan Shearer, the Villa talisman ended the season with 32 Premier League goal contributions, taking his tally in all competitions to a staggering 40 goals and assists in 53 appearances.
Despite the highs of his 2023/24 campaign, Watkins has already made a promise to Villa fans that next season will be better, with plenty more to come from the striker.
Jhon Duran – 6.5/10
Due to Watkins’ irreplaceable form, it was a tough season for Jhon Duran, who only managed to secure three Premier League starts.
The Colombian showed how bright he can be in front of goal, most notably with his point-winning brace against Liverpool, where he netted twice in three minutes.
Going into the summer, it’s unknown how the forward feels about being the firm second-choice behind Watkins, with rumours already circulating over a potential exit.
