The days of the assumed top clubs dominating the sport are over. Aston Villa needs to be more efficient and judicious in their approach compared to other clubs. There are clear opportunities for AVFC to do well throughout competitions and win silverware.
Thomas L. Friedman wrote a book entitled 'The World Is Flat.' In it, he described the nature of modern developments allowing for a more level playing field in terms of economics. Someone in Australia can conduct business in Europe, and opportunities that were once limited based on geography are now more open on an ever-increasing global platform that is becoming more accessible to all.
That principle is also playing out in the beautiful game. While certain clubs will likely always hold an advantage from a marketing and bias perspective, there are increasing avenues for all to take advantage of.
This can be seen from the most CL final in Bayern and how teams like Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were able to lift silverware during the 2024-2025 season.
Traditional powers are not going away any time soon. Just like the conventional methods to accumulate wealth are still in place. What the 'flattening' means is that each season allows for more clubs to have a realistic chance to enter into the race and fully back themselves to obtain a trophy.
Add to that when clubs like Aston Villa go head-to-head against any of the current top sides in the world, they are just as likely to get a positive result as anyone. How AVFC fared in Champions League and toward most of the end of the Premier League campaign should only further illustrate this point.
Looking at the positives for Aston Villa
It may be something of an exhausting point to listen to for Villa supporters at this point, but the club is in fact close to achieving great heights. Monchi and Unai Emery will never be without mistakes. That is a completely unrealistic expectation.
More times than not, they get individual decisions right. More importantly, they are setting the template and tone at the club that will allow Villa to annually be in a position to compete among the current best teams in Europe.