Aston Villa have lost four consecutive games and scored only three goals in their last five outings, their slump threatens to worsen.
It was the sort of week that Aston Villa supporters would have been looking forward to: away trips to Tottenham Hotspur, Club Brugge and Liverpool, combining Premier League and Champions League. However, the past seven days have proved to be anything but enjoyable.
Unai Emery’s side go into the international break having suffered three defeats during this tough week meaning they have now lost four of their last five games — with the other drawn. There has been only one league victory since September 21 and also an exit from the Carabao Cup.
Arresting this slump that threatens to become something more concerning may be one of Emery’s toughest challenges since taking over at Villa Park in October 2022.
Villa may not have expected to triumph away to Liverpool, who moved five points clear at the top of the table and are in imperious form, but there was less of the usual calmness that Villa have espoused during Emery’s tenure.
It was telling that both of Liverpool’s goals in the 2-0 win came on the counter. Firstly Darwin Nunez in the first half and then Mohamed Salah shortly before full time were direct and punished the visitors with lethal finishes.
That Villa were so exposed, particularly for Nunez’s goal, was rather bewildering. They have long been lauded as a team that are ultra-organised at set-plays, with one of Emery’s assistants, Austin Macphee, taking the lead in strategising such ploys.
Yet, that Liverpool were able to break so easily from one of Villa’s own corners hinted at muddled thinking. Villa didn’t leave a single player back when they lined up for their corner, albeit Liverpool also had nobody positioned higher up than the edge of their own penalty area.
Still, with the likes of Salah, Luis Diaz and Nunez all capable of running through at pace, it was a bizarre decision and one that cost Villa the opening goal.
That they were caught short again minutes later at their next corner was even more puzzling. It was rather belatedly after that that Ezri Konsa was stationed further back.
Such details are normally what Emery and his team get right. But throw in the even stranger way in which they conceded the winning goal away at Brugge and a growing collection of poor concessions comes to light.
Emery spoke after the Spurs game — when they shipped four after taking an early lead — about Villa rectifying how they have been conceding goals. Though, current evidence suggests they are only finding new ways.
Playing high-intensity domestic and top-tier European games with such quick turnarounds — something they last tasted in 1982/83, a very different era — is undoubtedly impacting Villa. Emery said that they must get the “balance” right.
They have won just one of their four league games that have followed a Champions League midweek, and Newcastle United experienced similar issues last season.
They have won just one of their four league games that have followed a Champions League midweek, and Newcastle United experienced similar issues last season.
Although Villa, on the whole, played well against Liverpool, restricted their hosts through good organisation and created a couple of chances of their own, they did look leggy at times and were almost always second-best in the 50-50 duels.
Emery’s experience of managing such a demanding schedule will come to the fore, and it should be remembered that they started the season good enough with six wins from seven, and there was also the Bayern Munich scalp.
Villa are on course to progress into the knockout rounds in that competition and although they are eighth in the Premier League, they are only a point off fourth place. Emery will view the game away to Crystal Palace straight after the international window as crucial to halt the current slide and regain a footing in the top-four fight.
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