David James believes Unai Emery can lead Aston Villa to the Champions League, as he believes the manager could have had success at Arsenal if given more time.
Villa look like a completely different team since Emery took over. Indeed, they were fighting relegation when Steven Gerrard was fired last season, but by the end of the season, they were seventh under Emery.
This qualified them for the Europa Conference League, their first participation in a European competition since the 2010/11 season.
They are currently fifth in the table, three points behind first-placed Manchester City. Former Premier League goalkeeper James believes the Villans can achieve an unprecedented feat and qualify for the Champions League.
Of course, Villa has competed in and won Europe’s top competition, the European Cup, in 1981/82.
“At the moment, they are buzzing and you have to ask yourself ‘Champions League, why not?'” According to James, as reported by the Express and Star.
“The Villa fans and Unai Emery are the perfect match and if they were to get in the Champions League, it would be a tremendous statement.”
If Villa continues on their current upward trajectory, it won’t be long before they find themselves in the elite competition.
James also suggested that if Emery had been given more time at the club, Arsenal could have had more success.
“Unai Emery has been fantastic. “When you see what he’s doing with Villa, you wonder what impact he could have had at Arsenal if he’d been given more time, given their spending power and the quality already there,” he added.
Emery has been at Arsenal for over a year, and while he started well, his team’s performance has dipped as his tenure has progressed. They nearly won the Premier League and the FA Cup under Mikel Arteta.
There appears to be a good chance of success under him, so they won’t be concerned about missing out under Emery.
Both Arsenal and Villa should be pleased with where they are right now under their respective managers, as both are flying higher than they were previously.
