Our 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) team previews get underway with Aston Villa.
In these guides, we’ll be looking at the best players for the upcoming campaign, taking a stab at predicted line-ups for Gameweek 1, reviewing pre-season and more.
Much of the data and graphics in this article come from our Premium Members Area, which you can get with a discounted pre-season subscription.
But new to this season, we’ve also got Statsbomb visuals to bring you as part of our exciting partnership with the industry-leading data providers.
ASTON VILLA: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
Simply put, Unai Emery.
Few managers could have replicated the job the Spaniard has performed at Aston Villa since his arrival in November 2022.
From there, Emery has transformed the club from relegation candidates under Steven Gerrard into a UEFA Champions League outfit, after steering Villa to a fourth-place finish in 2023/24.
He’s turned Villa Park into a bit of a fortress, too, overseeing a 17-match unbeaten home run which came to an end in late January. In that time, they put six past Brighton and Hove Albion and beat Manchester City and Arsenal by a goal to nil.
They’re ahead of schedule, but who knows how far Villa can go?
Above: Aston Villa’s home and away results in 2023/24
ASTON VILLA: REASONS TO BE FEARFUL
Villa had a brilliant 2023/24 season, but they arguably overachieved, at least according to the underlying stats.
They were ranked 7th for expected goals (xG) and 11th for expected goals conceded (xGC) last year.
There was a notable drop-off towards the end of the season, too, as the squad ran out of steam, having reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The obvious concern now is how Villa cope with at least eight UEFA Champions League matches being added to the schedule.
