A lot comes after the type of season that Aston Villa just had in 2024-2025. There is less of an element of surprise, for one. Teams are expecting a difficult challenge and are less likely to overlook what was once perceived as an easier win, and the expectations are heightened among the fan base.
Although many are largely happy with how the year as a whole went, there is now that much more of a hope and desire to see Villa hold up a trophy. Winning as many matches as they did, particularly in the second half of the campaign, makes it so that the fans yearn for more and a product that can produce results on a regular basis.
That is part of the curse of doing well. It makes it more difficult for a club to take a step backward and still leave the supporters satisfied. Progress needs to continue.
For Unai Emery, the weight of heightened expectations is what he wants and is looking to thrive under. The demands of the Premier League and other competitions make it so that all teams have to consistently look for ways to get better or get left behind.
Even through all of the aspects that continue to unfold with PSR, there is a belief among those at the club that Villa are building something that can truly compete with the top clubs year-in and year-out.
There is now a desire more than ever in recent memory to break the mold and find a way to earn a piece of silverware after the lengthy drought. That is certainly a doable feat under Emery and with this nucleus at the club.
An aspect that Emery does better than other managers is keeping perspective and focusing on each match as it comes. Others will pick and choose, blatantly only looking to be competitive in certain competitions. That isn't how the Spaniard operates. He will believe and has shown the ability to go far on multiple fronts.
Looking for continued progress from Aston Villa
That is the perspective of someone at a big club. Many refuse to acknowledge the current position of Villa in the sport, but the mentality is there that should have Villa in conversations when discussing the top end of the EPL. There may be a difficult obstacle to overcome in terms of convincing those doubting Villa at the moment until they finish in the top three or even win the title outright.
The beginnings of club are already well-established at Villa of a side that will be an assumed top player in the league for years to come.