Unai Emery and his Aston Villa side have raised many hopes for the supporters. The Spanish manager came back to England and replaced Steven Gerrard. Aston Villa have grown in confidence under him and qualified for Europe this season. He also got the financial backing and brought in the likes of Diaby, Torres, Tielemans and a couple of other players to strengthen the squad and add more depth.
In his second season at the club, Emery has led Villa to possibly their best-ever start in many years. They sit in third place and are four points behind Emery’s former team Arsenal. One of the biggest reasons behind this early-season success is the team’s home form. Emery’s men have the best home record this season after 15 league games. Aston Villa have a 100% record and only Liverpool have a similar record at home in the English Premier League. A recent 1-0 triumph over the defending champion was a defining statement for all other teams in the league. Let’s take a look at Villa’s home stats and see where they have performed better.
Goals galore at Villa Park
Aston Villa are a very attacking side this season and averages more than two goals per match. Their xG rate is around 2.03 per game and that shows that Villa creates clear-cut chances to score a goal. Unai Emery’s men have netted 34 goals and 24 came in seven home games.
The scoring rate at home has been exceptional. Emery’s men score at a rate of 3.43 goals per match. They average 15 shots per match at home and the overall average is 14 shots per game. Villa scored six against Brighton in a home game and followed with a four against West Ham and three each against Fulham and Luton Town.
In the last home match, Aston Villa attempted 22 shots against Manchester City. Leon Bailey scored the only goal of the match in a dominating performance by Aston Villa. Players got into good scoring positions a couple of times but failed to convert more chances.
There is no particular attacking zone for Villa. They have quality wide players on the left and right side. This has allowed the team to create chances from both ends. The full-backs also join the attack and create threats for the opposition team.
Sturdy defence
Scoring goals past this Villa defence is not easy for the opposition. The team has conceded 20 goals, but only five at home. Unai Emery’s men have allowed the opposition to take around 10 shots per match. In home matches, the average is around eight shots. This shows how much discipline there is in the backline.
Aston Villa have delivered performances and are a team to beat this season. Unai Emery will hope that the team continue to impress and secure a place in Europe.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine