Unai Emery has mentioned the desire to have Aston Villa come out with a 4-4-2 formation. At the time, it was with the idea of playing Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford up top. To date, there has not been too much in terms of clarity regarding the development of Rashford being able to extend his stay in B6.
Even if the club proves unsuccessful in that regard, the utilization of that formation is something that the Villa boss should highly consider for the 2025-2026 campaign.
Certainly, the likes of Donyell Malen being seen up top with Watkins would be a universally welcome sign among Villa supporters. It is early, but some brief glimpses of Zépiqueno Redmond are beginning to excite fans as well.
Regardless of who, the implementation of the 4-4-2 would provide a different look from the commonly used 4-2-3-1 that is often used by Emery. Of course, having two defensive midfielders helps to keep things stable. The added protection in front of the backline allows for the side to not necessarily be worried about being caught out.
It is inherently more limiting moving forward, however. Yes, players are given the option to also venture forward. The tendency will be to remain closer to the initial position than not.
Compared to a 4-4-2, there is a target option on both sides for the defenders to clear the ball toward, and Villa still gets the presence of two central midfielders while also having players inherently positioned further up the pitch to help contribute toward the attack.
Uncommon approach could benefit Aston Villa
Many are playing with a three-back system or a version of a 4-2-3-1 in today's game. By now going out with a 4-4-2, it actually provides something of a different look that most modern teams are not as used to dealing with.
All that is old becomes new again. Emery may want to consider going with his instinct and using this new-old tactical approach.