Share this @internewscast.com

Unai Emery’s arrival at Aston Villa has evidently precipitated a transformation in not just the success of the club, but their stature on the European stage despite his thus far short tenure – but perhaps we underestimate quite the impact he has had. 

Emery inherited an ailing Villans side from Steven Gerrard, with the threat of relegation dangling agonisingly in front of them after two wins by the end of October 2022, needing immediate results to kickstart their revival. 

You need only look at the numbers to see that is just what Emery has done. Not only did he save them from demotion but he took them all the way up the table into the UEFA Conference League, just a point off Europa League Brighton. 

Here Mail Sport take a look at where Emery’s start ranks against other managers in Premier League history, with some huge absentees that have gone on to achieve unfathomable feats in the top-flight.

Unai Emery's start at Aston Villa has been transformative taking the Villans up into Europe

Unai Emery’s start at Aston Villa has been transformative taking the Villans up into Europe

Emery's side finished seventh at the end of last term having won just twice by the time he joined at the end of October 2022

Emery’s side finished seventh at the end of last term having won just twice by the time he joined at the end of October 2022

Many could be forgiven for underestimating Emery; his reputation in England had taken a sizeable hit with his failed spell at Arsenal, which crumbled towards the end with communication issues thought to be a key issue at the Emirates. 

Yet the Basque manager went away, won the Europa League with Villarreal and put together a strong Champions League run with the perennial LaLiga under-achievers, and returned with his stock largely rebuilt. 

It was a sizeable job that he returned to the Premier League to do, but he has excelled himself in the last year, picking up an astonishing 71 points in his first 35 games in charge at the club. 

That translates to 2.02 per/game – which would have been enough to win the Premier League in two of the 31 campaigns to date – which is extraordinarily impressive when you consider the comparative squads and finances of Villa.

There will be many a Villa fan wondering just how high their club could have finished in 2022-23 had Emery been in the dugout for the whole season, and taking his points-per-game tally into account, they may have notched a third-place finish – 1.76 points ahead of Man United’s 75 points last term. 

In fact, it’s enough to rank Emery as ninth on the list of the 10 managers to have the most points after the 35-game mark in their Premier League careers, with five of the eight above him going on to win the league that year. 

Perhaps surprisingly, the top three managers all came from Chelsea – with five of the 10 Blues bosses – with Jose Mourinho leading the way by four clear points on 88 after his first spell at Stamford Bridge brought instant success. 

Mourinho is followed by fellow league-topping coaches Antonio Conte (84) – who is the only manager to feature twice from two different spells at two clubs – and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti on 77. 

Ancelotti is tied with Manuel Pellegrini with the Chilean having an equally impressive start in his first term at Manchester City after arriving from Malaga, with the ‘Tinkerman’ himself Claudio Ranieri (76) making up the top five with that campaign of campaigns he orchestrated at Leicester in 2015-16. 

Emery's points-per-game ratio would have seen Villa finish third in last season's league standings

Emery’s points-per-game ratio would have seen Villa finish third in last season’s league standings

Jose Mourinho leads the way after his stunning introduction to the Premier League at Chelsea

Claudio Ranieri's fairy tale campaign at Leicester ranks him fifth

Jose Mourinho leads the way after his stunning introduction to the Premier League at Chelsea with Claudio Ranieri finishing fifth

Antonio Conte's start at Chelsea ranks him second, with his first 35 games at Tottenham enough to make the list a second time in eighth

Antonio Conte’s start at Chelsea ranks him second, with his first 35 games at Tottenham enough to make the list a second time in eighth

Behind the Foxes legend comes Avram Grant, who had only 32 games in charge of Chelsea but still racked up a creditable 32 points, with Thomas Tuchel seventh on 74, with his run in charge curtailed by Todd Boehly’s axe at the start of 2022-23. 

Conte’s start with Tottenham was strong enough to rank eighth in the standings with 73 points – although as impressive the beginning of his reign was, the climax was just as explosive. 

Emery’s 71 are enough to rank him ninth, one point ahead of fellow Villa manager John Gregory, who managed a surprising 70 points in his opening salvo of 35 games at Villa Park. 

As a result, the likes of Pep Guardiola (65), Arsene Wenger (60), and Jurgen Klopp (58) who all miss out, despite the undeniable success they managed at each of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. 

Arsene Wenger went on to become the only manager to win the Premier League unbeaten but won just 60 points in his first 35 games

Arsene Wenger went on to become the only manager to win the Premier League unbeaten but won just 60 points in his first 35 games

Jurgen Klopp ended Liverpool's 30-year wait for a top-flight title after a trying start picking up 58 points in his 35 first games in charge

Jurgen Klopp ended Liverpool’s 30-year wait for a top-flight title after a trying start picking up 58 points in his 35 first games in charge

At this rate Pep Guardiola might go down as the best the league has ever seen, but misses out on the top 10 with only 68 points

At this rate Pep Guardiola might go down as the best the league has ever seen, but misses out on the top 10 with only 68 points

Most points in first 35 PL games in charge of a club
Manager Team Points
Jose Mourinho Chelsea 88*
Antonio Conte Chelsea 84*
Carlo Ancelotti Chelsea 77*
Manuel Pellegrini Manchester City 77*
Claudio Ranieri Leicester City 76*
Avram Grant Chelsea 74 (32 games)
Thomas Tuchel Chelsea 74
Antonio Conte Tottenham Hotspur 73
Unai Emery Aston Villa 71
John Gregory Aston Villa 70
* indicates manager won league title     

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Jordan Henderson makes a surprise comeback to the Premier League, joining a new club on a free transfer after leaving Ajax early and ending his challenging stint in Saudi Arabia.

Jordan Henderson is set to sign for Brentford after his early release…

Liverpool’s Six Alternative Striker Options if Alexander Isak Deal Falls Through – Includes Surprise Premier League Name, Aston Villa Pursues Man United Player, and Arsenal Competes for EFL Talent in Transfer Update

LIVERPOOL have explored moves for a number of high-profile centre forwards over…

Why Conor McGregor Hasn’t Tied the Knot with Longtime Partner Dee Devlin After 16 Years Amid New Allegations and Cheating Scandal

Conor McGregor has offered up a variety of reasons for why he…

Nottingham Forest Transfer Updates: Latest on Morgan Gibbs-White, Key Players at Risk of Leaving, and Potential Wingers to Succeed Anthony Elanga

Nottingham Forest are furious with Tottenham Hotspur over their approach for Morgan…

Leaked: Barcelona’s Mamba 2025/26 Away Kit Pays Tribute to Kobe Bryant

Barcelona’s 2025/26 away kit is expected to launch in the coming weeks,…

Wayne Rooney Lands Lucrative Contract for New Position

Wayne Rooney has reportedly signed a big-money deal to become a regular…

Inside Tom Brady’s Impact in Birmingham: The Motivational Speech That Defeated Wrexham, His Innovative Training Regimen, and Wedding Day Phone Calls

The ping of a smartphone is perhaps the most familiar sound in…

Striker’s Relationship with Manager Strained After Newcastle Hands No. 9 Shirt to Record Signing

Few shirts in English football weigh heavier than Newcastle’s No.9 and once…

Noni Madueke Poised to Become Chelsea’s Sixth Player Transfer to Arsenal in Seven Years: Will the Blues Profit Again After Earning £142m from Past Deals?

The London pipeline from Chelsea to Arsenal continues. It centres on a…

Tottenham’s £55m Pursuit of Mohammed Kudus: The Dilemma and Thomas Frank’s Unwavering Interest by MATT BARLOW

The last time Mohammed Kudus was seen at Tottenham he was disappearing…