Football looks a little different this season, with the number of passes per game in the Premier League plummeting to a 15-year low. Teams are more direct. Long-distance throwing is the trend. And Aston Villa manager Unai Emery explained it.
“I think this is a result of tactical changes across football.” Emery said: sky sports He shows us a graphic highlighting these passing numbers in his office at the club’s training ground. “Football is becoming man-to-man all over the pitch.”
He explains: “We are seeing more of this than last year when teams are playing man-to-man, pressuring their opponents directly in the mid-block and trying to jump man-to-man, and that’s because the English and Italian teams are performing well.
“For example, Newcastle are a team that consistently uses man-to-man marking all over the pitch, but other teams are now adding this as well. The result is more duels, less time spent passing and more opportunities to exploit opponents from behind.”
Emery sees this as a tactical trend across Europe. He points to Italy’s Gian Piero Gasperini. “He has been doing this for many years at Atalanta and now at Roma. There are many teams in Italy and Spain who are trying to introduce these same ideas into their games.”
What stands out most in the Premier League is speed. “Everything is faster, more direct, and there are fewer passes.” When it comes to long throw-ins, a tactic that once struck teams as odd is now being adopted by more people. Even Arsenal are title favorites.
“Set-pieces are improving and the progress is so fast. Brentford were one of the first – it was like a corner with six or seven players in the box. Now there are more teams in the Premier League – probably 10 or so – who are doing it more directly. Even we do it sometimes.”
Emery believes the Premier League refereeing style encourages this. “In England you can interfere with the goalkeeper, you can block the centre-back. In other leagues, that’s not the case. In Europe, it’s a clear foul.” But the question of how much his Villa team needs to change is a tricky one.
“Because football is evolving, we need to always update tactically, learn quickly and use all our experience to change. We are updating our ideas.” More broadly, he plans to stick to his principles. “But we only changed small details,” he revealed.
“We’re trying to keep the same mindset and add some tactical ideas to groups and individuals, but not too much.” Some of these changes are necessary because opposition teams have now changed the way they play against Emery’s Aston Villa.
The sight of Emiliano Martinez stepping on the ball was a common sight in Premier League stadiums. In fact, since the start of last season, Aston Villa’s goalkeeper has spent more time on the ball than any other player in the competition.
The goal is to get your opponent to pressure you and then play from there. However, the amount of pressure Villa face in games is steadily decreasing, with opponents increasingly reluctant to let the game go their way. Emery’s statistics are displayed.
“Maybe it’s because the circumstances are different,” he says. “We played against Sunderland and they had few players and didn’t press well. It depends on each game, but we analyze each opponent in depth and try to overcome them and improve.”
Take Tottenham for example. Villa’s opponent on Sunday must be one of the most difficult to prepare for. “Frank is very creative,” says Emery. “He can change to 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and press high, sometimes putting the team in a mid or low block.”
Emery cited his performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup in August as an example of the latter. “He’s looking for a different way tactically. And that increases the demands on us. It’s getting harder and harder to play against them. We have to be ready.”
Sunday, October 19th at 1pm
Kickoff at 2pm
His team wasn’t ready when this season started. Emery knows it. He doesn’t want to mention the reasons again and the challenge of the transfer window is in the past. “We were poor because of many circumstances. Now we are progressing and getting better.”
After waiting the longest of any English team to score their first goal, Villa have won their fourth successive win in all competitions. “Playing in Europe too? Wow,” Emery said. “Consistency is the priority now and I’m always trying to be smart and competitive.”
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WATCH FREE: Highlights from Aston Villa’s win over Burnley in the Premier League
Villa are aiming to win a fourth consecutive season of European football for the first time in the club’s history. “Being in the top seven and achieving that is our priority in the coming months and years. I have confidence because I believe in Aston Villa, but it is difficult.”
It’s really difficult. But Emery wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. “I want to be here because for a coach like me it is really difficult to play every game in the Premier League. He is very versatile tactically.” This is a game that always asks new questions.
Unai Emery’s mission is to continue to search for answers.
Watch Tottenham vs Aston Villa live on Sky Sports Premier League this Sunday. Kickoff at 2pm
