Aston Villa are preparing for a Premier League and Europa League campaign although, after a season of such highs and lows, it might be tough to top for Unai Emery's men.
What are Aston Villa's confirmed transfers?
Aston Villa's arrivals
- Evann Guessand: Nice - £26 million.
- Marco Bizot: Stade Brestois - undisclosed.
- Zépiqueno Redmond: Feyenoord - free transfer.
- Yasin Özcan: Kasımpaşa - £5.83 million.
Aston Villa's departures
- Philippe Coutinho: Vasco da Gama - free transfer.
- Enzo Barrenechea: Benfica - loan.
- Robin Olsen: Malmö - free transfer.
- Kosta Nedeljković: RB Leipzig - loan.
- Yasin Özcan: Anderlecht -loan.
- Louie Barry: Sheffield United - loan.
- Joe Gauci: Port Vale - loan.
Pleased note: all information is correct as of the date of publication.
What happened at Aston Villa last season?
Fair to say, last season was a very eventful campaign for Aston Villa, one that featured many highs, but ultimately ended on a low note. The Claret and Blue Army competed in the Champions League for the first time since 1982/83, famously beating Bayern Munich 1-0 at home, getting all the way to the quarter-finals, narrowly ousted 5-4 on aggregate by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, following a spirited second leg fightback at Villa Park. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, their best cup run for a decade, before being smashed 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Wembley.
In the Premier League meantime, Unai Emery's team won eight of their last ten matches, but just fell short of getting back into the Champions League again. On the final day, the Villans were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Emi Martínez sent off, before Morgan Rogers had, what would've been, an opener, disallowed by referee Thomas Bramall, very controversially so. This forced them to settle for sixth place, set to feature in the Europa League, thereby completing the set of UEFA competitions in the last three years, so another continental escapade awaits.
How will Aston Villa do this season?
Aston Villa's summer discussion has been dominated by the constraints of Profitability & Sustainability Rules, able to spend very little, having missed out on Champions League qualification. Just last week, they did make their first noteworthy addition though, with striker Evann Guessand arriving from Nice for £26 million. However, neither Marco Asensio nor Marcus Rashford, who made such an impact after arriving on loan in January, will be returning to Villa Park.
The good news for Villans is that none of their key players have departed, with fears that at least one of Emi Martínez, John McGinn or Ollie Watkins would have to be sold, while Boubacar Kamara has signed a new contract, one year out from his previous deal expiring. Nevertheless, squad depth could prove to be an issue, as they attempt to juggle domestic and European commitments.
Right now, the Claret and Blue Army have to be considered amongst the favourites to win the Europa League; Roma, Porto, Lille, Feyenoord, Real Betis, Lyon and Nottingham Forest are the other leading candidates currently in the competition. This is thanks, in large part, to the fact Unai Emery is their manager, having reached five Europa League Finals to date, winning four of them. So, Villa could well be in İstanbul for the final in May, but this will surely have an adverse effect on their league position.
What is our predicted Premier League finish for Aston Villa?
- Our predicted finish for Aston Villa in the Premier League this season: 9th.
What are Aston Villa's first 6 Premier League fixtures?
- Newcastle United (H). Saturday 16 August. Kick off 12:30 (BST).
- Brentford (A). Saturday 23 August. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
- Crystal Palace (H). Sunday 31 August. Kick off 19:00 (BST).
- Everton (A). Saturday 13 September. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
- Sunderland (A). Sunday 21 September. Kick off 14:00 (BST).
- Fulham (H). Saturday 27 September. Kick off 15:00 (BST).
What are some other key dates for Aston Villa supporters?
- 27 August: Carabao Cup third round draw - taking place around 22:30 (BST).
- 29 August: UEFA Europa League league phase draw - taking place at 12:00 (BST).
- 1 September: The transfer window closes at 19:00 (BST).