Aston Villa took a considerable step closer to the Champions League with their win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, a game that left pundit Micah Richards amazed by the quality of Unai Emery’s side.
Aston Villa recorded a 4-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, a result that saw Unai Emery’s squad go five points ahead of Spurs in the race for 4th place.
The win didn’t come without some drama at Villa Park, as the visitors looked as though they could encourage a comeback when the score reached 3-2, although the Villans quickly re-asserted their dominance.
Goals from Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and a brace courtesy of Douglas Luiz rounded off what was a memorable day for the Midlands club, whose season now looks like it will certainly end with a European spot.
How Micah Richards reacted to the Aston Villa win over Nottingham Forest
Now that Villa are eight points clear of Manchester United in 6th, it could be said that Emery’s side has some breathing space when it comes to challenging for Europe in general.
The primary goal is of course sealing a place amongst Europe’s elite in the Champions League, something that would be a remarkable feat considering the squad’s injuries and how quickly the manager has settled at the club.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, pundit Micah Richards was full of praise for his former club and the progression under Emery’s guidance.
“They’re so good now it’s ridiculous. You know when you want a team to do well, but it’s always more hope actually than reality.”
“The way Unai Emery has got them playing is just amazing, they lost Kamara to injury, they bring in Tielemans, John McGinn drops a bit deeper they’ve got the box in midfield, leaving a space for Bailey to do whatever he wants to do.”
The impact that Unai Emery has had on Aston Villa
Aston Villa have already scored more goals after 26 games than they did over the previous three seasons, as well as already eclipsing their points tally from the 2021/22 campaign under Steven Gerrard.
Villa are scoring more, playing attractive free-flowing football and most prominently, building a squad that has the ambition to succeed and get the club back to the top.
With 12 games to go in the 2023/24 Premier League season, the opportunity is there for Emery to cement Villa as one of the top four teams in the country, a marvellous prospect considering he took charge when the club were in 15th.
