Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has made a bold prediction for the 2025/26 English Premier League season, naming his former club Arsenal as the team most likely to lift the trophy. The Spanish coach notably overlooked the dominant force of Manchester City in his assessment.
Emery's Title Verdict Ahead of Villa Park Showdown
The 54-year-old tactician shared his thoughts just hours before leading his Aston Villa side against the league leaders at Villa Park on Saturday, December 6. Emery, who managed Arsenal between 2018 and 2019 before Mikel Arteta took over, did not mince words in his praise for the Gunners.
According to a BBC report, Emery declared Arsenal as "the best team until now and the favourite to win the Premier League." This endorsement comes despite Arsenal having finished second in the league for three consecutive seasons prior to the current campaign.
The upcoming match presents a significant challenge for Villa, who sit third in the table with 24 points, six points behind Arsenal who top the log with 33 points. Emery acknowledged the scale of the task, calling the game "a huge test collectively, individually and for me as a coach as well."
Praise for Arteta's Arsenal Revolution
Emery went into detail about the transformation he has witnessed at his old club under the stewardship of Mikel Arteta. He highlighted the comprehensive standards that have been set, which are driving the team's success.
"Arteta is doing a really great job. He's incredible how he's progressing, being demanding, the values he set at the club," Emery stated. He further elaborated on the visible evidence of this work during matches, noting their discipline in all phases of play.
"He has set standards, you can watch their matches, even in the emotion, when they are scoring goals, how they are being demanding in everything. In everything – set pieces, tactically, offensively, defensively, get duels, they are very good in duels as well," the Villa boss added.
Team News and Emery's Villa Legacy
On the injury front, Emery provided an update on World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, whose availability for the Arsenal clash remained uncertain. "We will train this afternoon. He didn’t train yesterday... Until the last moment I don’t know if he will be available or not tomorrow," Emery told reporters, as monitored by Sports Mole.
Emery's own record at Aston Villa continues to impress. The Spaniard has guided the team to six consecutive wins this season and now holds a club record, having secured 62 Premier League victories – more than any other manager in Villa's history.
This prediction from Emery adds to a growing chorus of belief in Arsenal's title credentials. It follows recent comments from legendary former manager Arsene Wenger, who also backed the Gunners for glory, labelling them as the world's best team ahead of clubs like Chelsea and PSG. Arsenal last won the Premier League under Wenger in the famous 2003/04 'Invincibles' season.
As the football world watches, all eyes will be on Villa Park to see if Emery's Villa can dent the title charge of the team he now believes is destined for the crown.
