Villa have had plenty of proof of the progress they have made under Unai Emery. Yet as the Spaniard approaches the second anniversary of his appointment, the standings provide some of the most startling.

Unai Emery has been a revelation at Aston Villa since moving to Villa Park in 2022 and fans of the Birmingham club will be delighted to hear that the Spanish coach has even bigger plans for the

It was not so long ago that Villa decided to sign Alex Moreno, now on loan at Nottingham Forest, because he was regarded as the ideal profile for an Emery-style left-back; a sharp burst of acceleration was vital to his one-v-one and ball-carrying abilities.