Emery challenges Pep Guardiola.

But tonight, Pep Guardiola's opponent will be one of the best managers of 2023 in English football. With six games remaining in the calendar year, Aston Villa have already achieved 22 Premier League victories. Never before in the Premier League era has this team won so many games in a single year. The last time Villa won more than 22 games in a year was in 1980. The result? Not only did they win the league title in the 1980-1981 season, but they also won the European Cup in the 1981-1982 season. That's a glorious achievement that Villa fans only see once in a generation!

Coach Emery is having success with Aston Villa.

Emery has only been managing Villa for just over a year, replacing Steven Gerrard last November. Looking back at Villa's first 38 games (equivalent to one season) under Emery, it's astonishing to see that their points total is only behind two other Premier League teams: Arsenal and, of course, Manchester City (Man City). Therefore, it's no surprise that Emery's team is currently in the top four. This is the first time in 14 years that Villa has entered December in the top four of English football. Pep Guardiola's Man City is incredibly strong. But considering the specific circumstances, Unai Emery's Aston Villa might even be more commendable and something to be proud of!

In just the next four days, Villa will face two of the most formidable opponents currently: champions Man City and league leaders Arsenal. A win tonight would see Villa overtake Man City in the standings – something almost unimaginable before the season began. And in such a scenario, how exciting will this weekend's "Super Sunday" match against Arsenal be!

It's worth noting: Villa have always won at home, and have never scored fewer than 3 goals in the Premier League this season. Emery's team will be home in both upcoming big matches. Looking at Man City, we see they haven't won in their last 3 league games. Never before in the Guardiola era has Man City dropped points so consistently. Villa shouldn't be intimidated by the team that won four trophies last season.

Not long ago, manager Emery was still denying Aston Villa's chances of finishing in the top four. He said his team was weaker than at least seven other teams (anyone could easily name those seven teams – purely based on their reputation). But for now, Villa only needs to win two consecutive home games, and then they can forget about finishing in the top four. Some will consider them title contenders! Leicester City wouldn't dare accept any praise or admiration, nor would they set any "lofty" goals, before actually winning the Premier League in 2016!

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