Rogers and Watkins are turning Emery’s Aston Villa fairytale into a NIGHTMARE

Life can come at you pretty fast. Ask Aston Villa and Unai Emery.

It is less than six months since Villa were on the cusp of a top-five Premier League finish after pushing Paris Saint-Germain all the way in the Champions League quarter finals in a valiant effort that renewed hope for the future despite the club’s exit.

But, while the 3-2 second leg win over PSG in April may have felt like a new dawn for Villa, the footballing gods seemingly had other ideas and the sun has barely shined on Emery ever since.

A self-inflicted final day collapse against Manchester United prevented Champions League qualification and the financial implications led to an underwhelming summer where the club spent just €30.5 million – €30m of which on forward Evann Guessand, who has yet to open his account for Villa.

He is not the only barren player for Villa this season, however. In fact, virtually the entire squad has shared the same issue, with Emery’s men only scoring their first goal of the season in their fifth match of the season.

Villa’s star figures have regressed, perhaps taken aback by the loss of momentum in the summer, and the departure of director Monchi – considered Emery’s right-hand man – has led to fears that the club’s project may have come to a screeching halt.

Key Aston Villa stars strugging after transfer speculation whirlwind

Villa are one of just two sides without a Premier League win this season, although they did record their first victory of the campaign with a 1-0 home win over Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday after John McGinn’s 13th minute strike.

However, the narrow result was anything but convincing, with Bologna boasting more shots, possession and passes than the hosts, while the performances of Villa’s stars continued to raise alarm bells.

Ollie Watkins came off the bench and missed a penalty to make it seven games without scoring this season, while Morgan Rogers’ dismal form continued with a shocking 41% pass completion rate as he still looks for his first goal contribution of the campaign.

Both players have been heavily linked with an exit from Villa Park in recent months and the uncertainty over their futures, as well as the lack of progress on the pitch, will not have done any favours for their form or mental state.

Chelsea have been linked with a €100m move for Rogers, while Watkins was openly touted to virtually every club in the league in order to raise funds and both players will undeniably had their heads turned by the speculation despite their professionalism.

Attention, too, will naturally land on Emery, particularly after the departure of Monchi, having been lauded for the club’s turnaround since his appointment in 2022.

There is little to suggest that the blame lies exclusively at Emery’s door and his future is unlikely to be in serious doubt with four years still remaining on his contract, but questions will be asked on how the Spaniard can reignite the fire in his stars and avoid the turmoil from further growing.

A first win of the season will certainly have relieved some tension despite the below-par performance but a strong result against Fulham this weekend will be required to avoid powering to a future that may lead to the likes of Emery, Rogers and Watkins joining Monchi in marking a premature end to Villa’s lofty ambitions.

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