As they sat around a table at Bodymoor Heath planning Aston Villa’s Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest, the club’s key executives settled on their trump card.
This was not just about Emi Martinez, John McGinn or Ollie Watkins, important as they would be. It was about the stadium that has become their fortress in continental competition. This was Villa’s third semi-final of Emery’s tenure, but the first time they had played a second leg at Villa Park. In three seasons in Europe under Emery, Villa have lost only one home game. With a first trophy since 1996 at stake, they had to make it count.
Whereas Premier League rules state that clubs must offer a minimum of 3,000 tickets to travelling fans, in European competition it is five per cent of capacity. At Villa Park, that is 2,150 and they chose to offer Forest the minimum possible.
The flipside was that Villa would have only 1,500 of their own supporters for the first leg at the City Ground, but director of football Damian Vidagany, business supremo Francesco Calvo and transfer chief Roberto Olabe decided it was a price worth paying. Having studied Villa’s performances at home in Europe, notably wins over Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain last season, they believed they could overturn any deficit.
If Bayern and PSG at full strength had wobbled in that atmosphere, what about a Forest side missing five key players, including their on-field conductor Morgan Gibbs-White?
Aston Villa were brilliant on Thursday night as they swept aside Nottingham Forest and booked their spot at the Europa League final in Istanbul
The atmosphere around Villa Park was spectacular, from the moment supporters’ flares turned the air claret and blue as they greeted the team bus
The Villa supporters were in fantastic voice – but noise from the stands alone won’t win you a European semi-final
How right they were. The old ground was spectacular on Thursday, from the moment supporters’ flares turned the air claret and blue as they greeted the team bus. When the players jogged out for the warm-up, the Holte End roared like Villa had scored. It set the tone for a performance that blew Forest away.
Yet supporters can only do so much. There is a reason Emery has won four Europa League titles and that this will be his sixth final. This is how he and the players did it.
Total confidence
The morning after their 1-0 first-leg defeat at the City Ground, Villa’s senior players gathered before their recovery session to discuss how they would turn things around.
The core of this group has been together for some time. McGinn and Tyrone Mings won promotion from the Championship, while Martinez, Emi Buendia, Matty Cash, Watkins and Ezri Konsa joined when Dean Smith was in charge.
Had their confidence slipped at that point, who could have blamed them? Prior to the Forest game, Villa had produced a drab display in losing at Fulham. Then there were the previous semi-final defeats by Olympiacos and Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, when Villa started favourites but were beaten comfortably.
Instead, Villa sources say there was not one speck of doubt among the leadership group. ‘We are going to win this game.’ No arguments. No misplaced arrogance. Just complete focus and determination that they would get the job done.
It is fair to say that Villa might have been a little riled by what happened at the City Ground, too. Emery was not the only one stunned that Elliot Anderson escaped a red card for a studs-up tackle on Watkins. Then there were the full-time fireworks.
In fact, the pyrotechnics are set off by a local business after every Forest home win and have no connection to the club. But Villa did not know that and in terms of motivation for the second leg, ignorance was bliss.
Villa were stunned that Elliot Anderson escaped a red card for a studs-up tackle on Ollie Watkins in the first leg
The Villa leadership group, including keeper Emi Martinez, were determined that there would be no slip-ups at Villa Park
John McGinn was the star of the show for Villa with two goals in the second leg
The Spurs fiasco – or was it?
It takes serious nerve to send out a ‘B’ team when Champions League qualification is on the line and then stand motionless on the touchline as though the outcome matters little. This is why Emery is paid about £12million a year.
The Villa boss took an awful lot of criticism – including on these channels – for appearing to treat last Sunday’s Premier League game against Tottenham as a pre-season friendly. He left out key men, Villa lost 2-1 and were booed off.
Fans were baffled at how uninterested the players seemed, and even more confused when Emery did not try to change it. Indeed, Watkins was brought on in the second half only because Tammy Abraham had taken a knock.
We know why now. McGinn had been excellent for Villa since his return in mid-March after knee surgery but his running statistics suggested he was starting to tire (see below). Throw in a tight hamstring and Emery and his captain decided this was the perfect time to rest.
Sure enough, McGinn was man of the match in the second leg, scoring two late goals and dominating the right of Villa’s midfield. At the City Ground, Neco Williams had the better of their duel but McGinn bossed him at Villa Park.
Sluggish for much of the campaign, Watkins seemed to be sprinting further and faster on Thursday. Konsa had endured a few dodgy matches but against Forest he was near-flawless. Forest striker Chris Wood barely saw the ball.
Then there was the move to put Victor Lindelof in central midfield. A centre back for most of his career, Lindelof actually made his debut in midfield for Villa in the middle, as a late substitute at Everton last September.
It worked a treat. When Villa had the ball, the Swede would drop between Konsa and Pau Torres, allowing Cash and Lucas Digne to push higher. Without it, he provided an extra layer of insurance that gave more freedom to Youri Tielemans.
Emery had some luck, of course. Had Villa had Forest’s injury problems in the same positions, they would have been without Cash, McGinn, Konsa, Tielemans and Morgan Rogers. That would have placed a different perspective on things. But this was still a personal triumph for the Spaniard.
Unai Emery’s decision to play defender Victor Lindelof in central midfield worked a treat
What happened next?
It was not only football royalty in the Villa dressing room afterwards as the Prince of Wales congratulated the players before spending some time with Emery in his office.
Prince William has seen most things as a Villa fan but this was a night to top the lot. Co-owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens also popped in to pass on their good wishes.
That will be it for celebrating, though. Villa were back at Bodymoor on Friday morning to prepare for their recovery session and if any players were still riding the wave, they would have been given short shrift by Emery. Anyone caught thinking about Istanbul would receive similar treatment.
Now it is all about Burnley on Sunday, where Villa know they can seal Champions League qualification if they better Bournemouth’s result at Fulham. After the joy of Thursday, it would be a huge surprise to see Villa fall again as flat as they did against Spurs.
Emery has proved again what we all suspected. When it comes to European football, nobody should bet against him.
