Aston Villa’s changing approach under Unai Emery produced one of the decisive moments in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Roberto De Zerbi revealed after the game that Spurs had specifically prepared for Villa’s increased use of direct passes.
It still did not stop them.
Zion Suzuki’s long clearance released Nicolas Jackson before the striker doubled Villa’s advantage in north London.
De Zerbi admitted Tottenham knew Villa were playing “86% more long balls than last season”, according to The Guardian’s post-match report.
That statistic reveals an intriguing tactical evolution from Emery after a difficult start to the Premier League campaign.
Aston Villa are becoming more direct under Emery
Villa have traditionally been associated with patient construction under Emery.
That has not disappeared.
However, Saturday demonstrated why the manager is increasingly willing to bypass pressure when the opportunity appears.
Our Tottenham 2-3 Aston Villa match report showed how Villa struggled to control possession during significant periods of the opening half.
Tottenham pressed aggressively and repeatedly forced Suzuki into action.
Villa did not respond by stubbornly insisting on playing through every wave of pressure.
They adapted.
De Zerbi told The Guardian that Tottenham had discussed Villa’s increased use of long passes during several meetings before the game.
That makes Jackson’s goal even more significant.
Tottenham knew what could happen.
Villa still made it happen.
Zion Suzuki gives Aston Villa another weapon
Suzuki deserves considerable credit.
His early saves kept Villa in the contest while Tottenham were creating the better opportunities.
Our analysis of Zion Suzuki’s crucial performance against Tottenham highlighted how important the goalkeeper was before Villa established control.
However, Suzuki’s contribution extended beyond shot-stopping.
His distribution directly created the situation from which Jackson made it 2-0.
The striker latched onto the long clearance before driving at Tottenham’s defence and finishing superbly.
Emery has therefore gained more than a goalkeeper capable of protecting his own penalty area.
Suzuki can help Villa attack the other one.
That becomes especially valuable against opponents who push numbers forward to press Villa’s build-up.
Nicolas Jackson can thrive from Villa tactical change
Jackson also looks particularly suited to this approach.
The forward has the pace to threaten space behind defensive lines and does not need Villa to dominate possession before becoming dangerous.
Emery’s decision to start him ahead of Tammy Abraham was rewarded with a crucial goal.
The manager subsequently praised Jackson’s improvement, as we examined in our Nicolas Jackson breakthrough analysisfollowing the Tottenham victory.
Johan Manzambi also benefited from Villa’s willingness to attack quickly.
The youngster scored the opener and combined with Jackson for the second during an outstanding individual display.
His performance has already created a major selection decision for Emery once Villa return from the international break.
There is now genuine speed in the attacking unit.
Villa need to exploit it.
Emery is adapting Aston Villa rather than abandoning his principles
This should not be interpreted as Emery abandoning his preferred style.
Villa still want structure.
They still want players capable of receiving the ball under pressure and progressing through midfield.
However, tactical flexibility matters.
Emery explained after Saturday’s victory that Villa first needed to become resilient defensively before attempting to impose their structure and technical quality.
That was precisely what happened against Tottenham.
Villa survived the difficult periods and then punished the spaces their opponents left behind.
It is an approach that could become increasingly important throughout the season.
Supporters can track Villa’s next tests through our permanently updated Aston Villa fixtures and results hub, with Brentford next at Villa Park after the international break.
Emery’s side finally have their first Premier League victory.
More importantly, they may also have discovered another way to win.
