Blog

Hannah Gowen
Aston Villa fan writer

Aston Villa’s form in 2026 has shown how important Unai Emery’s key midfield players are.

Having travelled to Craven Cottage on Saturday – previously a happy hunting ground for Emery – Villa looked lethargic and lacked a dominant force in the middle of the park.

There was an Amadou Onana shaped hole. Another injury meant the Belgium international was sidelined – his 29th game missed through injury across his two seasons at the club.

Barely a month has passed since John McGinn and Youri Tielemans returned from their respective injuries and, with Boubacar Kamara out for the campaign, Villa have been without their strongest midfield for most of this year.

Emery has been reliant on Onana’s presence during much of this period, despite knowing the midfielder has been prone to small recurring muscle injuries, often attributed to fatigue.

This week, the club will compete in another European semi-final. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest games in Emery’s tenure, with just two games between him and another Europa League final.

But, at the moment, it looks like Onana may be missing for what will be a season-defining game.

The midfield injury woes since the turn of the year have coincided with a drop off in away form, with Villa winning just one away league fixture since the beginning of the year.

This will no doubt be a concern heading into Thursday night’s game against Nottingham Forest.

Despite these challenges, much of Villa’s hard work for the season is done. The club sit eight points ahead of sixth position with four games remaining, with relegation candidates Tottenham and already-relegated Burnley up next.

So Champions League qualification seems likely and the potential of a European trophy is currently high.

To ensure this season ends in success, hopefully with a piece of silverware in the cabinet, Emery and his team will have to show the best of their ability to perform under pressure – perhaps even without their best XI.

Image source, Getty Images