More points than Pep Guardiola after 50 games! Why Aston Villa's Unai Emery is gunning for Premier League manager of the year

Just over a year ago, Aston Villa were in freefall. After a bright start to Steven Gerrard's reign, the Liverpool legend's tenure had turned toxic. The fans were bitterly disillusioned, the players bereft of confidence.

After a 3-0 loss at Fulham - a game that midfielder John McGinn said he felt "embarrassed to be part of" - the supporters demanded a change of manager.

Villa chief executive Christian Purslow had no option but to heed the call, admitting that the "objective of continuous improvement" had not been achieved - which was something of an understatement.

Villa had won just two league games - and scored only seven goals - during the first three months of the season and, when Gerrard was sacked on October 22, they were only above the relegation zone on goals scored.

Now, they sit third in the table, while Villa Park has become arguably the most intimidating venue in the Premier League. On Saturday, Villa host Arsenal having won their past 14 home games. If they make it a club-record 15 victories in a row, they'll draw to within a point of the current leaders.

Make no mistake about it: this is one of the most dramatic and rapid turnarounds in Premier League history. Emery is making a complete mockery of the idea that Mauricio Pochettino needs more time to transform Chelsea's outrageously expensive squad into top-four challengers, given the impact he made at Villa Park was instantaneous.

So, how did Emery do it? How did he take a team that was in danger of the drop to third in the table in just over a year? How did Emery rebuild a reputation that was in tatters after his dismissal as Arsenal boss four years ago?

Ollie Watkins stated in an interview with the Sunday Times last season that Emery is "very demanding". The manager freely admits that himself. He knows he asks an awful lot of players. Some respond positively; others do not. Which goes some way towards explaining why his time at both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain ended prematurely.

At Villa Park, though, Emery inherited a group of players willing to do whatever it took to stop the rot. Team meetings spent poring over video analysis may have lasted for hours but the squad embraced the new manager's methods because the meticulous attention to detail quickly reaped rewards, with Villa winning six of their first seven Premier League games under the Spaniard.

It also helped that Emery was willing to lead by example, often spending 16 hours a day at the training ground. Hardly surprising, then, that the players were willing to work hard for a manager that was working so hard for them.

Emery didn't just unite Villa, though; he also gave them a clear identity and a progressive, proactive playing style. This was huge, given the team had lost all semblance of structure under Gerrard, who changed formation four times during the start of the 2022-23 campaign.

Emery has not been afraid to make tactical tweaks - particularly against opponents of contrasting styles - but immediately brought stability and solidity to the starting line-up by relying on certain key players, such as Emiliano Bunedia and Tyrone Mings.

Furthermore, while the former Villarreal boss is known as a conservative coach, he's actually quite adventurous. He wanted Villa to play the ball out from the back by utilising Emiliano Martinez more, while he also implemented a high line and a high press to great effect.

"You have to take risks in football," Emery explained in an interview with Sky Sports. "I am trying to keep possession of the ball. When we have the ball with the goalkeeper, we are starting our build-up. If he is kicking the ball long, some we will win and some we will lose. I prefer to try to keep the ball ourselves."

The bold approach paid off spectacularly. After a wobble in February, Villa won 10 of their final 15 Premier League games to finish seventh in the Premier League, thus securing qualification for continental competition for the first time since 2010-11.

Several players have benefited enormously from Emery's arrival.

Under Gerrard, Villa regularly played without orthodox wingers, which had a negative effect not only on a traditional wide man like Leon Bailey, the match-winner against Manchester City, but also central midfielder Douglas Luiz, who regularly had to drop deep to provide cover for advancing wing-backs. Unsurprisingly, both Bailey and Luiz have flourished since being allowed to focus on doing what they do best.

However, Emery has arguably had a bigger impact on Watkins than any other player. The striker scored just once during Gerrard's 11 league games last season. He netted 13 times under Emery and ended the campaign with a career-high 16 goals in all competitions. He should smash that tally this term, too.

Watkins has 13 goals and six assists in 22 appearances - only five players across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues have been directly involved in more goals.

And the key was Emery getting Watkins to touch the ball less. Watkins said in April: "I sometimes want to come out of the box but he literally says 'Don't go there!' He says it as bluntly as that - 'Don't go, stay there!' It makes me laugh but it works."

The obvious question now is how far Emery can take Villa, given they've already travelled a great distance in such a short space of time. It was abundantly clear on Wednesday night that something special is brewing in Birmingham and the summer appointment of transfer market maestro Monchi as the club's new President of Football Operations has only added to the sense of optimism swirling around Bodymoor Heath. Monchi and Sevilla won three Europa Leagues together at Sevilla - anything now appears possible now that one of the sleeping giants of English football has been awoken.

The manager was even asked about a title challenge on Wednesday night, given Villa won the league the last time they had this many points after 15 rounds, in 1980-81. Emery, of course, immediately shot down such giddy talk, pointing out that there are arguably seven sides better equipped to fight for top spot.

There's certainly no denying that Villa lack the strength in depth of England's elite (Monchi should soon change that, in fairness). However, a top-four finish is certainly not beyond them, especially when one considers only City, Arsenal and Liverpool have picked up more Premier League points since Emery took over last November - which is a staggering achievement for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, while the club may have spent a significant sum of money acquiring Pau Torres and Moussa Diaby during the summer, Emery is still working with more or less the same squad he inherited from Gerrard - which is the ultimate testament to his coaching capabilities.

Secondly, Villa appeared to be in serious trouble after losing both Mings and Buendia to serious injuries in a humbling 5-1 loss at Newcastle on the second weekend of the current campaign. Emery didn't look for excuses, though. He sought solutions - and found them, too.

He's picked up more points in his first 50 games at Villa than Guardiola managed at Man City and his wonderfully exciting and energetic team is now posing questions now that even the champions are failing to answer. So, while Villa might not win the league, more good evenings are guaranteed.

In fact, Saturday might just be another one.