At around 19:00 CET on Sunday, Old Trafford will be a sullen place to be as Manchester United fans plod away from a desperate season with a summer full of uncertainty ahead. But, in a corner of the stadium will be a group of people who are likely to be celebrating.
Aston Villa head to the north-east of England knowing a win will secure European football once again, whilst if some results go their way, it could be another tilt at the Champions League.
Under Unai Emery - manager since November 2022 - the Villans have been reborn. The Spanish tactician has taken them from relegation-threatened to taking on the best teams on the continent.
Now, ending his third full season as Villa boss, it will be a good time to take stock of what he has achieved, but also look forward to what is turning into a defining time of his era.
Win and in?
Champions League qualification looked a fair way off for Aston Villa earlier this season. Back in February, they were 10 points behind the high-flying Nottingham Forest, now they are one point ahead.
In an interview with Sky Sports last week, Emery said: "What is interesting to me is how the supporters and the players are feeling now about where we are. We were behind Nottingham Forest and behind Chelsea, maybe eight or nine or 10 points behind them.
"I am telling the players, we have to enjoy the process, enjoy playing. It is not only about the result at the end. It is about how we are performing and how we are struggling sometimes. That is good as well because those experiences can help us in the future."
Aston Villa sit sixth heading into the final day of the seasonFlashscore
Now sitting outside those places on goal difference, it has been a run of brilliant form to get them there. In the last 10 games, they are the best team in the league with 24 points in that time.
Results do need to go their way if they are to make the top five, but regardless of the outcome, it has been another season of achievement for Emery.
A win on Sunday equals their amount from last season with one less defeat in the Premier League. Combined with a long and deep run in the Champions League, only ended by the juggernauts of PSG - a game they were in until the dying moments - it has been a remarkably consistent campaign from Emery and his charges.
Even Europa League or Conference League football would not be a fall from grace for Villa if that is their destiny after Sunday. It would allow them to be one of the favourites in those competitions.
Summer of change?
Player overhaul is a given for most sides who are not league champions, as they look to improve. For Villa, that seems likely too.
Goalkeeper and cult hero Emiliano Martinez gave an emotional farewell to the Holte End following their final home game, foreshadowing a move away from the club he has been at since 2020. Plenty of clubs are rumoured to be interested in the 2023 and 2024 Lev Yashin Trophy winner, and despite four years left on his current deal, this could be the best time for Villa to change their number one.
The Birmingham club have opted for youthful signings in the past - Morgan Rogers stands out from the current crop - and at 32, Martinez could be past his prime.
The spine of their team looks set to stay, but the big question mark will be Ollie Watkins. Subject to a bid from Arsenal in the January transfer window, Watkins, with his 16 goals and eight assists in the league this season, could be a target for big clubs once again.
The England international is also nearing his 30th birthday, and Villa could be in the market to find someone to mould into their number nine if Watkins does tail off. That does feel unlikely, so a battle could ensue this summer for the striker’s signature.
This, then, feels like a big summer for Emery. He will want to build on a squad that he has brought depth into over the last two seasons, whilst improving their quality to compete on all fronts.
Trophy tilt
Aston Villa are, by all accounts, a big, historic club. European Cup winners in 1982, First Division champions, and seven-time FA Cup winners, their history screams success. But since their only major European trophy was 43 years ago, a taste of silverware is needed for Emery and for the fans.
This season has been full of highs in Europe, but cup exits to eventual winners Crystal Palace in the FA Cup and to the same opposition in the League Cup back in October suggest that there is more to come domestically.
We have seen this season what a trophy can provide. The scenes at Wembley for Palace’s and Newcastle’s fanbases showed a release of that tension built over generations. Villa feel primed to take that next step and add to their trophy cabinet.
The Premier League, given their opposition, feels a stretch in 2025/26, but Emery is the right man to take on that task. They are capable of battling any team on their day; however, over a long and arduous season, it will be tough to keep that consistency.
Their best bet, then, could come in the cups. In Europe, it will depend on the competition they play in, but on the home front, a run at the FA Cup or the League Cup is not out of the question.
Aston Villa are one of the best-run clubs in the division, financially sound and with a stadium redevelopment on the way, they are on sure footing to keep on improving with Emery at the helm.
It starts with Sunday at Old Trafford. Manchester United's supporters will be watching one team heading to Europe, and plenty will be aware of the incredible juxtaposition between the two sides. The pair could not be further apart, both on and off the pitch, the best indication that what Emery is doing at Aston Villa is built to last.
Josh DonaldsonFlashscore
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