6 November 2022 remains a vivid date for Aston Villa supporters. A packed Villa Park celebrated as the team beat Manchester United -- the first home win over United since 1995 -- in what felt like the beginning of a new era.
The immediate scenes were full of jubilation: celebrations in the dressing room, hugs, songs and a sense that the club had finally moved out of a long shadow. Yet the manager who had just arrived was measured in his response. Villa had won, but not in the way he wanted.
Emery's assessment was unambiguous: the match had been chaotic and lacked the control he envisaged. He recognised the gulf between the frenetic, high-energy football the crowd loved and the deliberate, dominant style he aimed to install. Convincing everyone at the club to embrace that vision would be his first big challenge -- and he committed to it.
Emery arrived in the Premier League with a résumé that mixed rapid rises and hard lessons. Early coaching successes at smaller Spanish clubs led to Champions League qualification with Valencia, an extraordinary run of three consecutive Europa League triumphs with Sevilla, a brief stint in Russia, and trophy-laden seasons at PSG. A difficult period at Arsenal ended in dismissal, but Villarreal provided the platform to restore his reputation.
Following Villarreal's European success, Newcastle's new ownership expressed interest in hiring Emery. Frustrated by indirect communication he had told an intermediary, "Tell them to call me directly and not beat around the bush."
When Amanda Staveley later contacted him on behalf of the club's owners, Emery considered the offer seriously. However, premature media stories and speculation about the move -- published before any contract had been agreed -- irritated him. Those leaks clarified his priorities and strengthened his commitment to Villarreal at the time. He phoned the club owner and assured him, "I am staying, 100%. Zero doubts". The decision preceded a deep Champions League run for Villarreal that restored his standing in European football.
After the Villa ownership met with Emery, the club made the move to activate his release clause. On 24 October 2022 the appointment was confirmed. Emery arrived with a clear mandate to change culture, structure and standards -- and he brought a trusted group of staff to help execute that plan.
Emery stressed from the outset that success required shared responsibility. In his first meeting with the squad he did not hold back. Hoping his English would suffice, he told the team bluntly: "I'm not happy. I'm sad because a colleague of mine, Steven Gerrard, has been sacked.
"He was not the only one responsible for what went wrong here. You are responsible. You and everyone in the club. We cannot always put the blame on the coach.
"And something else. I didn't come here to waste my time. I've come here to win things."
Emery set about altering habits and expectations. Training exposed long-standing routines: individuals taking shots at the wrong moments, crosses sent without assessing the situation, and a general acceptance of hopeful rather than calculated actions.
That process was not immediate -- some players found leaving familiar patterns unsettling -- but attitudes shifted as the season progressed. Influential figures in the dressing room embraced the new demands and helped accelerate the transition. In the canteen, a phrase summarised the change: "We've gone from black and white football to full colour."
Emery's first months were about establishing a philosophy and aligning everyone behind it: owners, directors, staff, players and fans. He made clear that his methods were not for show and that transformation required time, commitment and collective responsibility.
Three years on, Emery remains at Villa because the project gained traction -- not merely through memorable results, but through a profound shift in how the club thinks about football and how it prepares to compete.