---
title: "Aston Villa backed to disrupt Premier League title race after European triumph"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2026/08/03/aston-villa-backed-to-disrupt-premier-league-title-race-after-european-triumph/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Chettle"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2026-08-03T12:02:11Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T11:43:01Z"
---

# Aston Villa backed to disrupt Premier League title race after European triumph

**Aston Villa have been backed to disrupt the Premier League title race in 2026/27 after Unai Emery guided the club to Europa League glory and a fourth-place finish last season.**

[FourFourTwo believe](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/team/unai-emerys-europa-league-champions-are-the-most-likely-non-big-6-side-to-disturb-the-premier-league-title-race-aston-villa-2026-27-season-preview) Villa are the most likely side outside the traditional Big Six to trouble the leading contenders, although they ultimately predict another top-six finish rather than a genuine title challenge.

The assessment reflects how far Villa have progressed under Emery. They recovered from failing to win any of their opening five league games last season to finish fourth, while their Europa League victory delivered the club’s first major trophy in more than three decades.

FourFourTwo described Emery as central to everything Villa have achieved and suggested supporters can now realistically consider ambitions that once seemed distant. Another top-four finish, a domestic trophy and a serious Champions League run are all reasonable targets after last season raised expectations significantly.

> W. 🥇 [pic.twitter.com/XZ4Upc8uAK](https://t.co/XZ4Upc8uAK)
>
> — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) [August 3, 2026](https://x.com/AVFCOfficial/status/2084235832047665458?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

## Aston Villa squad has already changed since season preview

There is one important caveat to the prediction. FourFourTwo’s season preview was originally written in June, despite being published on 3 August, meaning several parts of its squad assessment are already outdated.

Morgan Rogers has since completed a British-record £117million move to Chelsea, while Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United for around £35m. Those departures remove two major contributors from last season’s side and leave Emery with significant work to do before the transfer window closes.

Villa have responded by investing heavily in Johan Manzambi and João Gomes, while Alejandro Garnacho has arrived on loan from Chelsea. The winger has already made an encouraging start, with [ReadAstonVilla reporting on Sunday that Garnacho is “enjoying football again” after making his Villa debut](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/08/02/enjoying-football-again-garnacho-sends-aston-villa-message/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

Further changes remain possible. Leon Bailey’s proposed departure has stalled after Hull City began considering whether to pull out of negotiations, while [Villa have also discussed a possible return for Jack Grealish](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/08/02/aston-villa-discuss-move-to-re-sign-jack-grealish/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) as Emery looks for more creativity.

## Emery remains Aston Villa’s biggest advantage

The strongest argument for Villa outperforming expectations remains their manager. Emery has now delivered Champions League qualification and European silverware, while consistently keeping Villa competitive against clubs with greater financial power.

There are still significant questions. Replacing Rogers’ creativity and Tielemans’ control will not happen automatically, while Arsenal’s reported £65m offer for Ezri Konsa provides another potential problem. [ReadAstonVilla reported on Sunday that Arsenal have submitted a £65m bid for Konsa](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/08/02/aston-villa-receive-65m-arsenal-bid-for-ezri-konsa/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), although Villa’s response to that interest could prove just as important as any new signing.

Keeping Emiliano Martínez would also provide stability. Juventus have ended their pursuit of the Argentina international, according to [ReadAstonVilla’s latest update on the goalkeeper’s future](https://readastonvilla.com/2026/08/02/fabrizio-romano-confirms-juventus-end-aston-villa-goalkeeper-pursuit/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).

Villa begin their Premier League campaign away to Brighton on 23 August before hosting champions Arsenal six days later. Those fixtures should provide an immediate indication of whether Emery’s rebuilt squad can maintain last season’s standards.

FourFourTwo ultimately predict Villa will finish sixth. However, describing Emery’s side as the leading candidate to disrupt the established title contenders underlines how dramatically expectations have changed at Villa Park.

After fourth place and a Europa League trophy, simply competing for European qualification no longer feels like the ceiling.