Coach World Ranking · Managers · Premier League managers

Aston Villa

England · Premier League · Manager: Unai Emery (#4 in the world) since Nov 2022
#29 World rank · club rating
2,021 Club rating
15th in the Premier League

Aston Villa have had 10 managers since 2015/16. Unai Emery, in charge since November 2022, has the best points per game of them (1.82 in 211 matches) and took the club rating from 2,089 to 2,198.

Aston Villa managers

20 spells since 1995 · newest first
Manager Period MatchesGP W-D-L PPG Club rating Coach ratingCoach Vs expected
Unai Emery #4 now Nov 2022 – present · PPG 1.82 current Nov 2022 – present 211 116-37-58 1.82 2,089 → 2,198 +108 +34.3 +0.33
Pako Ayestaran (stand-in) 26 Jan 2025 26 Jan 2025 1 0-1-0 +0.5
Aaron Danks Oct 2022 · PPG 1.50 caretaker Oct 2022 2 1-0-1 1.50 1,886 → 1,918 +33 +9.2 +0.22
Steven Gerrard Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 · PPG 1.18 Nov 2021 – Oct 2022 40 13-8-19 1.18 2,037 → 1,938 −100 −10.9 +0.07
Dean Smith Oct 2018 – Nov 2021 · PPG 1.39 Oct 2018 – Nov 2021 139 55-28-56 1.39 1,801 → 2,000 +199 +53.4 +0.08
Steve Bruce Oct 2016 – Oct 2018 · PPG 1.58 Oct 2016 – Oct 2018 103 46-25-32 1.58 1,794 → 1,786 −8 −5.2 +0.05
Roberto di Matteo Aug 2016 – Oct 2016 · PPG 0.83 Aug 2016 – Oct 2016 12 1-7-4 0.83 1,767 → 1,729 −38 −8.5 −0.05
Eric Black Apr 2016 – May 2016 · PPG 0.17 caretaker Apr 2016 – May 2016 6 0-1-5 0.17 1,736 → 1,721 −15 −7.4 −0.14
Remi Garde Nov 2015 – Apr 2016 · PPG 0.67 Nov 2015 – Apr 2016 24 3-7-14 0.67 1,762 → 1,696 −66 −20.6 −0.03
Kevin MacDonald Nov 2015 · PPG 0.00 caretaker Nov 2015 1 0-0-1 0.00 1,682 → 1,676 −7 −1.4 −0.13
Tim Sherwood Feb 2015 – Oct 2015 · PPG 1.03 Feb 2015 – Oct 2015 29 9-3-17 1.03 1,733 → 1,668 −65 −3.3 +0.01
Before 2015/16 · 10 spells, Aug 1995 – Feb 2015
Manager Period MatchesGP W-D-L PPG Club rating Coach ratingCoach Vs expected
Paul Lambert Aug 2012 – Feb 2015 · PPG 1.10 Aug 2012 – Feb 2015 115 33-27-55 1.10 1,855 → 1,703 −153 −36.3 +0.01
Alex McLeish Aug 2011 – May 2012 · PPG 1.05 Aug 2011 – May 2012 42 9-17-16 1.05 1,846 → 1,740 −106 −21.7 −0.05
Gérard Houllier Sep 2010 – May 2011 · PPG 1.28 Sep 2010 – May 2011 40 13-12-15 1.28 1,875 → 1,900 +26 −0.6 +0.07
Kevin MacDonald Aug 2010 – Sep 2010 · PPG 1.33 caretaker Aug 2010 – Sep 2010 6 2-2-2 1.33 1,826 → 1,832 +6 −6.3 −0.01
Martin O'Neill #85 now Aug 2006 – May 2010 · PPG 1.59 Aug 2006 – May 2010 171 72-56-43 1.59 1,661 → 1,886 +225 +26.1 +0.21
David O'Leary Apr 2003 – May 2006 · PPG 1.27 Apr 2003 – May 2006 115 37-35-43 1.27 1,628 → 1,594 −34 −21.1 +0.01
Graham Taylor Feb 2002 – May 2003 · PPG 1.10 Feb 2002 – May 2003 48 14-11-23 1.10 1,634 → 1,593 −41 −10.0 −0.07
David O'Leary (stand-in) 16 Nov 2002 – 23 Nov 2002 16 Nov 2002 – 23 Nov 2002 2 1-1-0 +2.5
Stuart Gray Jan 2002 – Feb 2002 · PPG 1.00 caretaker Jan 2002 – Feb 2002 2 0-2-0 1.00 1,630 → 1,625 −5 −0.9 −0.07
John Gregory Feb 1998 – Jan 2002 · PPG 1.56 Feb 1998 – Jan 2002 146 61-45-40 1.56 1,499 → 1,640 +141 +17.3 +0.10
George Graham (stand-in) 15 Jan 2000 15 Jan 2000 1 0-1-0 +1.2
Brian Little Aug 1995 – Mar 1998 · PPG 1.48 Aug 1995 – Mar 1998 104 43-25-36 1.48 1,500 → 1,491 −9 −18.6

Before 2015/16 the source names the manager on fewer matches, so these rows can miss games.

Unai Emery is the longest-serving: 211 matches over 4 years (Nov 2022 – present). Dean Smith added the most coach rating: +53.4 over 139 matches.

Club rating - the club's rating at the manager's first rated match → after the last. Coach rating - what the spell added to the manager's coach rating. Vs expected - average result per match above what the club rating predicted. Stand-in - a caretaker who covered a few matches during another manager's spell, folded under that spell. Every competition we hold, lower divisions included.

Club rating

since 2015/16 · line by manager
2,021Club ratingWeek 46, 2026
#29World rankof 943 active clubs
#15Premier Leagueof 20 clubs
2,211Peak since 2015/16Jan 2026 · low 1,658, Feb 2017
1,6001,8002,0002,200201620182020202220242026Nov 2026 · Unai Emery2,023 club rating1,6001,8002,0002,200201620202024Nov 2026 · Unai Emery2,023 club rating
Colour changes with each manager (9 since 2015/16) · hover a point for the name

Aston Villa's club rating peaked at 2,211 in January 2026, under Unai Emery, its highest since 2015/16; the low was 1,658 in February 2017, under Steve Bruce.

One point per month: the club's rating before its last rated match of the month, the manager's part left out. World rank among the 943 clubs with a match in the last 12 months and 30+ rated matches. The rating describes results so far - it doesn't predict the next game. How the club rating works ›

Next matches

next 14 days · UK time
Sat 21 Nov · 15:00 Premier League H v Sunderland
Preview Aston Villa v Sunderland ›
Tue 24 Nov · 17:45 UEFA Champions League A at Galatasaray
No chances for European games · why
Preview Galatasaray v Aston Villa ›

Club rating chances on league games only (home / draw / away), calibrated on 85,718 league matches. This week's matches ›

Cards and corners

a game · by season
Season GP Cards Agst Lg 2nd half Corners Agst Lg
2026/27 10 2.10 3.00 2.17 67% 3.40 5.20 4.74
2025/26 37 1.54 2.41 1.96 70% 5.24 5.05 4.99
2024/25 38 2.11 2.79 2.18 62% 6.05 4.53 5.12
2023/24 38 2.53 2.61 2.26 68% 6.08 4.24 5.41
2022/23 38 2.13 2.34 1.88 69% 4.29 5.55 5.04
4 earlier seasons, 2015/16 – 2021/22
Season GP Cards Agst Lg 2nd half Corners Agst Lg
2021/22 38 2.18 2.24 1.82 65% 5.16 5.79 5.20
2020/21 38 1.97 2.11 1.54 69% 5.61 5.11 5.08
2019/20 38 1.87 2.55 1.79 59% 5.26 6.37 5.35
2015/16 38 2.11 1.34 1.70 67% 4.39 6.13 5.40

Aston Villa won 3.40 corners a game in 2026/27, their fewest in any season since 2015/16 and 28% below the Premier League's average side (4.74).

League matches only (Premier League), from 2015/16 - European and cup games carry no card or corner data. Lg = the league's average side that season. Bold green / red = 15%+ above / below it. Premier League cards table › · corners table ›

Half-time / full-time

313 league matches since 2015/16
FT winFT W FT drawFT D FT lossFT L
HT winHT W 7123% 124% 134%
HT drawHT D 4013% 4013% 3912%
HT lossHT L 93% 134% 7624%
40
Points won from behindPts from behind
losing at half-time in 98 matches
63
Points dropped from aheadPts dropped
winning at half-time in 96 matches
1st half · W 96 · D 119 · L 98 GD −7
2nd half · W 102 · D 106 · L 105 GD −28

League matches since 2015/16. Each half scored as its own match: 2nd half = goals after the break only.

Referees at Aston Villa

21 referees with 5+ matches · most matches first
Referee MatchesGP W-D-L PPG Cards/g Club avg +/−
Michael Oliver 24 9-4-11 1.29 1.71 2.06 −17%
Craig Pawson 23 5-8-10 1.00 2.17 2.06 +6%
Anthony Taylor 21 8-6-7 1.43 2.19 2.06 +7%
Andy Madley 17 6-4-7 1.29 2.06 2.05 0%
Chris Kavanagh 17 6-5-6 1.35 2.29 2.05 +12%
Stuart Attwell 16 6-4-6 1.38 2.63 2.08 +26%
Jarred Gillett 15 7-3-5 1.60 1.93 2.10 −8%
Peter Bankes 15 8-2-5 1.73 2.27 1.97 +15%
David Coote 14 9-2-3 2.07 2.43 2.13 +14%
Robert Jones 14 4-3-7 1.07 1.36 2.08 −35%
11 more referees with 5+ matches
Referee MatchesGP W-D-L PPG Cards/g Club avg +/−
Martin Atkinson 13 6-2-5 1.54 1.69 2.03 −17%
Simon Hooper 13 7-3-3 1.85 1.54 2.05 −25%
Paul Tierney 12 3-2-7 0.92 1.33 2.04 −35%
Mike Dean 11 2-2-7 0.73 2.45 2.03 +21%
Darren England 9 3-1-5 1.11 2.67 2.08 +28%
John Brooks 9 7-1-1 2.44 3.22 2.10 +53%
Jonathan Moss 9 1-0-8 0.33 1.33 2.03 −34%
Samuel Barrott 8 4-1-3 1.63 1.25 2.07 −39%
Michael Salisbury 6 3-3-0 2.00 1.83 2.10 −13%
Graham Scott 5 2-0-3 1.20 2.20 2.05 +7%
Lee Mason 5 2-1-2 1.40 1.00 1.98 −50%

Under Robert Jones, Aston Villa picked up 1.36 cards a game, 35% below their own average in the same seasons (14 matches).

League matches since 2015/16 with the referee named (311). Cards = Aston Villa's own yellows and reds. Club avg = their cards a game in the same seasons with every referee. Under 10 matches the gap is grey: too few to call. Referees aren't drawn at random - the big games go to the senior ones - so a gap here describes, it doesn't prove a bias.

Quick answers

4 questions · from the tables on this page

Who is Aston Villa's manager?

Unai Emery, #4 in this week's coach world ranking, since November 2022 - 211 matches, 116 won (1.82 points per game).

How many managers has Aston Villa had since 2015?

10, counting 3 caretakers. Plus 1 stand-in: a caretaker for a few matches during another manager's spell.

Who is Aston Villa's longest-serving manager?

Unai Emery: 211 matches since November 2022, still in charge.

How many cards a game do Aston Villa get?

2.10 a game in the Premier League in 2026/27, against 2.17 for the league's average side.

The coach rating describes, it doesn't predict. It measures what a manager's teams did against what was expected of them. Match chances come from the club rating, calibrated on 85,718 league matches. How the rating works ›

Source: spells, ratings and ranks from the weekly ranking (Week 46, 2026); season stats updated nightly; next matches refreshed every hour.