Four years after Unai Emery arrived, a sharper, rebooted Aston Villa are bringing the optimism back as they prepare to face Manchester City.
Unai Emery marks four years as Aston Villa boss with the mood around Villa Park lifting. Supporters are feeling buoyant again, and the Spaniard's rebooted "2.0" version of his side is the reason.
The timing makes it sweeter. Emery took over a team in need of direction and turned it into a serious force, and the tactical work he is doing now suggests he is not content to stand still. Villa look sharper in their ideas and clearer in their identity, which has restored belief among fans who have grown used to ambitious nights.
Now comes a major examination. Manchester City are the kind of opponent who expose any weakness in structure, and they rarely allow teams to settle. For Emery, a master of detailed game plans and in-match adjustments, it is the perfect stage to show how far this evolved Villa side has come.
Win, lose or draw, the meeting says plenty about where Villa stand in the Premier League pecking order. Four years on, Emery has the club thinking big again, and the City game is the next measure of how big they can dream.
