Emery, dismissed by Arsenal in November 2019 after 18 months in charge, has overseen an impressive transformation at Villa since succeeding Steven Gerrard in October 2022. While his tenure at Arsenal was marred by a series of disappointing performances, culminating in a winless streak of seven matches across all competitions, leading to his departure from the Emirates following Arsene Wenger’s legendary reign, Klopp suggests the decision was unduly harsh.
At Villa, Emery has revitalized the team, guiding them from the brink of relegation to European contention within two seasons. Currently vying for a Champions League berth, Villa holds a comfortable seven-point lead over fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, though Spurs have a game in hand.
Klopp praised Emery as one of the top managers in the field, commending his tactical prowess and past successes with Sevilla while subtly alluding to Arsenal’s impatience.
“He is one of the best we have in the business,” said Klopp. “Some clubs weren’t ready to wait for it, but looking back, maybe these clubs would have made different decisions. I’ve known him for so long. He always had a clear idea. Won plenty of times with Sevilla.”
“Really tricky with Villarreal. He always organises his team really well. The job he is doing is absolutely exceptional. We all know how difficult it is to qualify for the Champions League and that he will probably do that is absolutely exceptional.”
Emery’s impact has been recognized with a nomination for the Premier League’s Manager of the Year Award. However, the 6-2 aggregate defeat to Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League on Thursday is disappointing given his past European triumphs, having won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal in 2021.
As Klopp gears up to face Emery’s Villa in one of his final games with Liverpool, the mutual respect and admiration between the two managers is evident. The clash between the two teams is set for Monday evening at Villa Park.
Liverpool performance and stats
Liverpool is currently 3rd in the Premier League with 78 points.
In the last 36 games, it has won 23 times, drawn 9 times, and lost 4 times. In its last match, Liverpool won 4-2 against Tottenham Hotspur.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 81 goals and conceding 38.
Liverpool will play the next match in Premier League against Aston Villa on Monday 13th of May in Birmingham. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.
Aston Villa performance and stats
Aston Villa is currently 1st in the Europa Conference League with 13 points.
In the last 13 games, it has won 8 times, drawn twice, and lost 3 times. In its last match, Aston Villa lost 2-0 against Olympiakos Piraeus.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 12 goals and conceding 7.
Arsenal performance and stats
Arsenal is currently 1st in the Premier League with 83 points.
In the last 36 games, it has won 26 times, drawn 5 times, and lost 5 times. In its last match, Arsenal won 3-0 against AFC Bournemouth.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 88 goals and conceding 28.
Arsenal will play the next match in Premier League against Manchester United on Sunday 12th of May in Manchester. The prediction is Arsenal winning the match.