A slow summer has tempered expectations but guile of Morgan Rogers and guidance of Unai Emery should inspire again
Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not necessarily Ben Fisher’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 6th
For Aston Villa supporters, the postcards from last season are worthy of repeated viewing. There were memorable trips to Berne, Bruges, Leipzig, Paris and Monaco as Unai Emery’s side enjoyed an absorbing ride to the Champions League quarter-finals, and nobody of a claret-and-blue persuasion will forget the home triumph over Bayern Munich anytime soon. Then there was the run to the FA Cup semi-finals, though a comprehensive defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley delivered a sting.
There were plenty of positives, chiefly the continued emergence of Morgan Rogers, now one of the Premier League’s most coveted players, and the consistent class of Youri Tielemans behind him in midfield, and yet it was a campaign tinged with disappointment. Villa missed out on qualifying for Europe’s elite competition on goal difference after defeat at Manchester United on the final day and Emery’s hunt for silverware – he outlined his desire to win a trophy on arrival in Birmingham almost three years ago – goes on. Villa imploding in the Europa Conference League semi-finals two years ago, losing 6-2 on aggregate to Olympiakos, hurt but now Emery returns to a competition that he knows best: the Europa League.
