Former Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood has delivered a bullish verdict on the club's current prospects, insisting manager Unai Emery possesses the capability to end the club's agonising three-decade wait for a major trophy.
From Controversial Defeat to Modern-Day Belief
Harewood, who scored seven goals in 40 appearances for Villa between 2007 and 2010, knows all about the club's near misses and painful sacrifices. He was part of the infamous weakened squad sent to face Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Cup in 2009, a decision by then-manager Martin O'Neill that backfired spectacularly.
Prioritising Champions League qualification, O'Neill left eight senior players at home for the trip to Russia. Villa subsequently lost 2-0 at the Luzhniki Stadium and ultimately finished sixth in the Premier League, missing out on both targets.
O'Neill never ended the club's barren run, which began after their League Cup triumph over Leeds United in 1996. Since that Wembley victory, Villa have reached two FA Cup and two League Cup finals but fallen short on each occasion.
Emery's Transformative Impact at Villa Park
Now, Harewood sees a different story unfolding under Unai Emery. The Spaniard has already guided Villa to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the Conference League in the last two seasons, and masterminded a memorable run to the Champions League quarter-finals.
"They can win something definitely," Harewood stated emphatically, with Villa currently sitting third in the Premier League and competing in the Europa League, with an FA Cup campaign commencing next month. "They've got a great opportunity to do that and if they continue the way they're playing, I can't see why not because of the players that they've got."
He highlighted the team's resilience and cohesion as key factors. "Then if they keep everyone fit, keep everyone happy and everyone singing off the same hymn sheet, then I don't see why not because the way they're playing now probably Villa's the team to watch at the moment."
A Sleeping Giant Awakened
Harewood, who retired in 2016 and now runs a car company in Nottingham, praised Emery for transforming Villa's fortunes. "I'm pleased for them because Villa's one of those sleeping giant teams and the way they've been performing, he's really turned them around," he said.
He pointed to Villa's strong recent form as evidence of Emery's tactical acumen. "They were struggling at the beginning of the season, and you can see how good of a manager he is when situations like this arise because he's gone on a mad unbeaten run. It's amazing."
Using their recent victory over West Ham United as an example, Harewood admired their grit. "Villa seem to hold their own and gritted through it, they've got a real understanding of how they play, players that look after each other, and they came strong towards the end. The way they scored a goal and won the game, you can just tell they're a decent outfit and they mean business this year."
With the club competing on multiple fronts, the belief from a former player who experienced the lows is clear: Unai Emery's Aston Villa are poised to finally bring the glory days back to Villa Park.
