The numbers ahead of tonight’s Europa League semi-final first leg at Nottingham Forest are genuinely extraordinary.
- Villa have won 11 Europa League games this season only Porto, Chelsea and Atlético Madrid have won more in a single campaign
- A victory tonight would equal Manchester City’s English record of ten consecutive European wins
- Emery has progressed from each of his last five Europa League semi-finals
- Watkins has been directly involved in a goal in each of his last four Europa League appearances
Stat 1 — Nine in a row and counting
Aston Villa head to the City Ground having won nine consecutive Europa League matches: the longest current winning run in the competition.
Only three clubs in history have won more Europa League games in a single season: Porto with 12 in 2010-11, Chelsea with 12 in 2018-19, and Atlético Madrid with a record 13 in 2011-12.
A victory tonight moves Villa to ten, equalling Manchester City’s record for the longest winning run by an English club in major European competition, achieved between May 2023 and March 2024 in the Champions League.
Stat 2 — Emery’s unmatched semi-final record
No manager in Europa League history has appeared in more semi-finals than Emery. Tonight marks his seventh appearance at this stage since 2009-10, more than double the three achieved by any other manager in the competition’s history.
Since losing his first with Valencia in 2011-12, the 53-year-old has progressed from each of his last five semi-finals: with Sevilla, Arsenal, and Villarreal all benefiting from his expertise at this specific and critical stage.
Stat 3 — Watkins closing in on Rooney’s record
Ollie Watkins has been directly involved in a goal in each of his last four Europa League appearances for Villa: four goals and one assist across that run.
Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman to have scored or assisted in more consecutive Europa League appearances since 2009-10, doing so in seven successive games between February 2012 and November 2016 for Manchester United. Three more tonight would move Watkins level with the England legend.
Stat 4 — Forest’s xG dominance and defensive solidity
Forest’s statistical profile in the Europa League this season is more impressive than their Premier League struggles suggest. Pereira’s side have accumulated the highest xG of any club in the competition this season (27.8) with 232 shots, 88 on target, and 414 touches in the opposition box.
Furthermore, having shipped five goals in their first two group stage games, Forest have conceded just seven in twelve since, the second-best defensive record in the competition from matchday three onwards, behind only Freiburg.
Stat 5 — A historic all-english occasion
Tonight’s first leg is the first major European semi-final between two English clubs since Arsenal and Manchester United met in the 2008-09 Champions League, a tie the Red Devils won 4-1 on aggregate.
Furthermore, it is the first all-English Europa League semi-final since 1973, when Liverpool beat Tottenham on away goals in the UEFA Cup. Both clubs are former European Cup winners. Only one can reach the Istanbul final.
| Key Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Villa EL wins this season | 11 — fourth highest ever in one campaign |
| Villa current winning run | 9 consecutive Europa League victories |
| Record to equal tonight | Man City — 10 in a row (English record) |
| Emery semi-final record | Won last 5 of 7 — more than any other manager |
| Watkins EL goal involvement | Last 4 games — closing on Rooney’s record |
| Forest xG this season | 27.8 — highest in the competition |
| Last all-English major semi | Arsenal vs Man Utd CL 2008-09 |
The numbers say Villa are ready. Now deliver
Eleven wins. Nine in a row. Five consecutive semi-final progressions for the manager. The statistics frame tonight’s occasion with remarkable clarity. History is not just possible: it is within touching distance.
