Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has firmly batted away suggestions his side are in the Premier League title race, labelling such talk as "empty" and headlines he "dislikes". The Spaniard's call for humility comes just hours before his in-form team host current leaders Arsenal in a pivotal match at Villa Park this afternoon.
Emery's Firm Rejection of Early Title Chatter
Despite overseeing a remarkable transformation that has seen Villa win eight of their last nine league matches, Emery is refusing to get carried away. His team's surge, which began after a winless start to the season in their first five games, has propelled them to third in the table with 27 points from 14 matches.
"I've been asked about the title race... You know how I think. Keep humble," Emery stated in his pre-match press conference, as reported by The Athletic. He emphasised the premature nature of the discussion, adding: "Words of a title race are empty until April or May - we are starting December. These are headlines I dislike."
Emery pointed out the fickleness of external opinion, noting that many who now place Villa in contention were writing the team off as "finished" back in August. A victory today would close the gap to Arsenal to just three points, while a defeat would leave a nine-point deficit.
Villa's Formidable Home Fortress
The stage for this high-stakes encounter is Villa Park, a ground where Emery's men have been exceptionally strong. Their home record is a significant reason for their lofty position. Since losing to Arsenal in this fixture in August last year, Villa have been defeated just once in their last 25 Premier League home games (W18, D8).
That solitary loss this campaign was a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on August 31. This formidable home form, bolstered by a passionate crowd, will be crucial if Villa are to overcome Mikel Arteta's league-leading side. The team's resilience was on full display in midweek, when they came from 2-0 down to win 4-3 away at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Reality of the Premier League Marathon
While optimism is growing around the club, Emery stressed the long road ahead in the season. He used the example of Chelsea, who were recently considered title contenders before a shock defeat to Leeds United saw them fall away. Villa now sit three points ahead of the fourth-placed Blues.
The message from the manager is clear: focus must remain on the immediate challenge, not distant possibilities. With over two-thirds of the season remaining, Emery believes a true assessment of any title challenge can only be made in the spring. For now, all attention is on securing a result against the team setting the pace at the summit.
