Force situation
For Aston Villa fans, the "posts" from last season deserve to be reviewed many times. Those were memorable trips to Bern, Bruges, Leipzig, Paris and Monaco, when Unai Emery's team reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
And of course, none of the loyal fans in red and blue could forget their home win over Bayern Munich.
Then came the journey to the FA Cup semi-finals, although the complete defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley left many regrets.
There are many positives, notably the continuous progress of Morgan Rogers - now one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League. In addition, there is the stable performance of Youri Tielemans in midfield.
However, it was still a disappointing dried-up campaign. Villa have dropped their Champions League spot just for a goal difference, after a defeat to Manchester United in the final round.
Meanwhile, Emery's title hunt - which he has publicly announced as a goal since arriving in Birmingham nearly 3 years ago - is still ongoing.
Villa collapsed in the Europa Conference League semi-finals 2 years ago, losing 2-6 to Olympiakos. Now, Emery is back to the arena he understands best: Europa League.
Under Emery, Villa have made many changes, but there is still a question: can they continue to develop? Except for the appearance of Marcobizot from Brest - the 34-year-old goalkeeper brought in as a backup plan - Villa's squad has not been completed. Of course,bizot seems like a smart deal with a low fee.
Improving an already strong squad is not easy, especially in the context of strict regulations on profits and financial sustainability. Villa's pillars - typically Ollie Watkins - can be compared to any other striker.
In fact, Harry Kane is the only English player to have more goals and assists than Watkins in Europe's top five leagues over the past five seasons.
Coach
"I'm like a robot," Emery said late in the season, describing his high concentration in each training session.
The 53-year-old captain always sets strict requirements for himself, the coaching staff and the players, a football enthusiast to the point of being haunted.
Emery was inspired by the working methods of big clubs like PSG, while modestly learning from small clubs like FC Andorra.
Emery often watches videos of his home cycling practice or takes notes while using a rowing machine. However, the nature of his work addiction also forced him to seek reading to control his emotions.
Emery's greatest success in his coaching career has been his four Europa League titles. Next season, he will aim to win his fifth title at this tournament.
Notable contract
Villa's summer 2025 has been quite slow. Although Boubacar Kamara has been in the squad since last season, the news of the French midfielder signing a new 5-year contract is still warmly welcomed by fans, just like a new contract.
The 25-year-old, who was persuaded by coach Steven Gerrard to join Aston Villa in 2022 after leaving his hometown club Marseille on a free transfer, is an important link under Emery.
Kamara missed the start of last season with a cruciate ligament injury, but he is now ready to start.
Emery assessed Kamara as an indispensable player in the squad, and his decision to continue to stay is a great source of encouragement for the whole team.
Expected star
Last season ended quite strangely for Donyell Malen. Aston Villa finally got the Dutchman's signature when he moved from Borussia Dortmund in January.
However, just 12 days after moving to Villa Park, as UEFA's player registration deadline approached, Villa prioritized using Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. Therefore, Malen was left out of the squad for the European Cup matches.
However, Malen still left his mark when he scored in Villa's 3 consecutive wins in the Premier League in April. Surely, more opportunities are waiting for Malen ahead.
