Unai Emery has heaped praise on set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, labeling his tactical creativity as “vital” to Villa’s success.
- Only Arsenal have scored more set-piece goals than Villa across Europe’s top five leagues over three seasons
- MacPhee has worked under three different Villa managers since joining in August 2021
- Emery described the coach’s approach as “sometimes crazy”, in the most complimentary way
- Sunderland are identified as a specific set-piece threat ahead of Sunday’s clash
The numbers behind MacPhee’s genius
If you are a season ticket holder at Villa Park, you know very well MacPhee’s stand up movements from the bench whenever there is a set piece situation.
The statistics surrounding Villa’s set-piece output under MacPhee are genuinely extraordinary.
In 2023-24, the Midlands club scored 25 goals from dead-ball situations: more than any other club across Europe’s top five leagues that season.
The following campaign produced another 20 set-piece goals, bettered only by Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal, Inter, and Barcelona.
This season, only Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, with 25, have surpassed Villa’s tally of 20.
Remarkably, Arsenal and Villa are the only two clubs across Europe’s top five leagues to have scored at least 20 set-piece goals in each of the last three consecutive seasons.
That consistency is not accidental, it is the product of a meticulous, creative coaching process that MacPhee has developed and refined across three different managerial regimes at Bodymoor Heath.
Emery’s tribute: “Austin is very creative”
The Spanish manager did not hold back in his praise when asked about the 46-year-old’s contribution on Friday. “Set-pieces are very important and Austin is very creative,” Emery stated directly.
“We are speaking a lot about set-pieces and we are trying to get advantages through it and compete through it.”
The 53-year-old also offered an amusing insight into the complexity of modern set-piece defending. “Even with the goalkeepers; touch them or not, a foul or not, they are blocking goalkeepers, not just one player but two or three. It is sometimes crazy.”
That candid observation reflects the fine margins that elite set-piece coaching exploits so effectively and that MacPhee has mastered better than almost anyone in Europe.
Sunderland identified as a specific threat
Emery was equally specific about the challenge Sunderland pose from dead-ball situations on Sunday. Regis Le Bris’ side are identified as one of the Premier League’s more dangerous set-piece teams: a factor the Villa manager is clearly preparing for meticulously.
“Sunderland is especially one team very good through set-pieces and they threaten the opponent through it,” he acknowledged.
MacPhee’s role cannot be overstated
MacPhee’s contribution to Villa’s modern era is one of the most underappreciated stories at the club. Three managers, three different tactical philosophies, and a set-piece record that has remained consistently elite throughout.
Sunday represents another opportunity to demonstrate exactly why Emery values the coach so highly
