Unai Emery celebrated his three-year anniversary at Aston Villa this week.

The Spaniard has enjoyed considerable success as manager, steering the club away from relegation trouble in his first season and even securing European qualification just months after his arrival.

After reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League, Villa went on to seal a place in the Champions League with a fourth-place finish in the 2023/24 season.

Few expected Villa to reach the last eight of UEFA’s elite club competition. They had Paris Saint-Germain on the ropes in the second leg, beating the eventual winners 3-2 at home, but ultimately going out on aggregate.

A return to the Champions League slipped away on the final day in dramatic fashion. Morgan Rogers scored what appeared to be a legal goal, but referee Thomas Bramall disallowed it for a foul on Altay Bayindir, leaving VAR powerless to intervene.

Finishing sixth, given how far Villa progressed in the Champions League and FA Cup, was still seen as a success. However, Emery is now targeting silverware to mark his...