After the spectacular run from Aston Villa late during the season in the Premier League, it is fair to wonder if it is possible to keep that type of form up through the entirety of 38 matches.
It is, of course, unreasonable to ask or expect a side to go through the EPL on an unbeaten streak. There will always come a time when a letdown performance is to be had. The quality throughout the league is also too much to expect not to go through some sort of slump during the campaign.
Villa supporters have seen, however, how good things can look on the pitch when everything is functioning the right way in Unai Emery's system. Toward the later half of the season, it was Villa who would have been sitting on top of the standings depending on where one started to begin the tabulation.
That isn't to suggest that Villa should now be favored to win the title or anything of that nature. Instead, it only serves to help illustrate how well this nucleus has already performed together before.
The key for any successful season is not necessarily how well someone does during wins. It often becomes more important to see how a club does when they hit a difficult patch in their season.
It can be frustrating and, in some instances, almost mind-boggling to watch a team do well only to then seemingly completely fall off the next match. Being able to navigate such instances proves to be much more telling than anything else.
Lesson from last year for Aston Villa
From the 2024-2025 season, the valleys earlier on made it so that Villa was essentially forced to be perfect down the stretch. Even a point more during the earlier months would have been enough to secure a Champions League position.
This will be one of the more difficult challenges for Emery. At Villa's height, this team can compete with any side in Europe. Improving, even only slightly, during moments when things aren't clicking will end up making a world of difference.