Aston Villa: How Unai Emery turned spectacular European nights into Villa's new normal

They say a week is a long time in football - never mind an entire decade.

It is exactly 10 years since Aston Villa were relegated to English football's second tier for the first time since 1987 after a 1-0 loss at Manchester United.

It was their ninth consecutive league defeat during a 13-game winless run that ended their miserable 2015-16 season, which left the 1982 European Cup winners facing a largely uncertain future under their American owner Randy Lerner.

They then spent three long seasons in the Championship before finally returning to the top flight for the 2019-20 campaign, but were still struggling for identity and direction until the arrival of Unai Emery.

Fast forward to Thursday and you could argue that Villa are now back among Europe's elite.

A commanding 7-1 aggregate win over Bologna sealed their place in the Europa League semi-final with minimum fuss at Villa Park. And it barely registered as a momentous occasion - a marker of progress achieved under Emery, who has transformed the club and raised standards and expectations in recent seasons.

This is Villa's second European semi-final in three seasons under the Spanish manager, following a Conference League run in 2023-24, and comes after a Champions League quarter-final appearance last season.

"If someone told me we'd be fighting for the Champions League and in a semi-final of the Europa League a couple of years ago I'd have bitten their hand off," said Ollie Watkins, who scored three goals over two legs against Bologna.

"So we are just trying to take it all in and enjoy the process," Villa's latest member of the 100-goal club told TNT Sports.

They are also firmly in the Premier League top-five race, sitting in fourth place with six games remaining and targeting a return to the Champions League via the league.

A European semi-final against Nottingham Forest now awaits them, and 10 years on from the despair of relegation, this feels like the new normal for Villa under Emery.

"Villa was perfect tonight, every player played their part and they are deservedly going through to the semi-final," their former midfielder Stiliyan Petrov told TNT Sports.

"They fully deserve to enjoy this moment as they worked really hard. It is about believing and I think these players do now believe that they can make it to that final."

Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as Villa manager in October 2022 with Villa hovering just above the relegation zone on goal difference.

The former Arsenal and Villarreal boss brought with him his own backroom staff, with many of the old guard departing.

Former Sevilla goalkeeper Monchi also joined as Villa's president of football operations in June 2023 - having previously worked with Emery at Sevilla and winning three Europa League titles together.

Emery immediately made an impact, imposing structure, clarity and belief on a Villa side that was once again flirting with relegation to guide them to a top‑seven finish and European qualification in his first season.

The following campaign proved the progress was no fluke.

Turning Villa Park into a fortress, they established themselves as a top‑four contender during 2023-24 while also reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League, where they were beaten 6-2 on aggregate by Olympiakos.

"The first year we got here in the Conference League, a lot of us hadn't played in Europe so when we got to the latter stages there was a lot of pressure," Watkins said.

"Each year we've learned and taken something from it. And to trust the manager because he's so experienced in this competition. He's won it numerous times so we believe in what he tells us and keep going."

A first taste of top-tier European competition since 1982-83 came last season when they reached the Champions League quarter-finals against Emery's former side Paris St-Germain.

And on their way to the last eight, they posted memorable league-stage wins against Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig while also holding Juventus to a goalless draw.

And this season's run on the continental stage further underlines their upward trajectory under the Spaniard.

"It's an amazing achievement for us to progress to the semi-finals and to go one step further than last year in the Champions League," Watkins said.

"We're really enjoying being in this competition and this is where we want to be, in the semi-finals."

Emery told TNT Sports: "I'm very happy. We were organised and tried to impose our ideas and style, which is not easy against Bologna."

"We are so happy with the way we are performing in this competition. It was fantastic. We are in the semi-finals, but there is still work to do."

Villa are under no illusions about the challenge ahead as they head into the semi-final against Forest as tournament favourites.

Forest earned their place in their first European semi-final since1984 with a 1-0 win against 10-man Porto in the second leg.

Despite Forest being involved in a relegation battle domestically, Villa know their opponents' resilience first hand having been held to a 1-1 draw by Vitor Pereira's side last weekend.

"It's a really exciting time for me personally and the team collectively," said Watkins, who scored his 100th goal for the club in all competitions on Thursday.

We've come out the sticky period and we've got it all to play for. But it's going to be difficult.

"We've played [Forest] twice already this season and it's not been easy. But we focus on each game and enjoy the process."

Emery also echoed Watkins' caution when looking ahead to the all-English last-four contest.

"Now we will play in a semi-final and it will be very difficult against Forest," he said.

The first leg of their last-four tie against Forest will be played in Nottingham on 30 April before the return leg in Birmingham on 7 May.

Win that, and a European final in Istanbul awaits against either Portugal's Braga face Bundesliga side Freiburg on 20 May.

And Forest will very much fancy their chances to end a 30-year trophy drought in the Turkish city and add to their 1982 European triumph, under Emery who has already won the competition four times before.

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