admin“It will be VERY difficult”- Unai Emery shares why it will be ‘very difficult’ for Aston Villa to beat Leeds United
Leeds United host Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at Elland Road on Sunday in what promises to be a stern examination for Daniel Farke’s side.
Emery arrives with an impressive record against newly-promoted teams — he has never lost in 17 meetings and has guided Villa to eight wins in their last ten matches across all competitions.
Even so, the Spaniard insists this trip to Leeds will be “very difficult,” pointing to the unique atmosphere at Elland Road as a major challenge for his players.
Emery wary of Elland Road advantage
Leeds have been strong at home this season, collecting two wins, two draws and suffering just a single defeat in their five Elland Road fixtures. Emery has only come up against Leeds once before as a manager, but it ended positively for him: a 2–1 victory for Aston Villa at Villa Park in January 2023.
Leeds could have appointed Emery
Interestingly, Emery might have been in the Leeds dugout this weekend instead of the opposition’s.
Former owner Andrea Radrizzani revealed that the club seriously considered appointing Emery — as well as Julen Lopetegui — had Jesse Marsch been dismissed earlier than February 2023.
Radrizzani explained:
“We spent a lot of time trying to find someone with a similar style to Marcelo Bielsa. I regret not making the change sooner. Jesse is a good coach, but I saw signs of frustration and misunderstanding.
“We could have had Unai Emery or Julen Lopetegui, but we missed that window. After the World Cup we tried for Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola, but it was too late. That was my responsibility.”
Since then, Emery has established himself as one of Europe’s top managers, guiding Aston Villa to a Champions League quarter-final last season, where they pushed PSG close in a narrow 5–4 aggregate defeat.
For Leeds supporters, missing out on Emery may still sting — but that frustration would ease significantly if Daniel Farke can find a way to beat him on Sunday.
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