Football pundit and former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan has hailed Unai Emery's transformative work at Aston Villa, suggesting the manager is performing miracles to keep the club in the Premier League title conversation.
Emery's Alchemy at Villa Park
Jordan, speaking on talkSPORT, used the biblical metaphor of 'turning water into wine' to describe Emery's impact. This comes as Villa sit third in the table, enjoying a formidable ten-game winning run that has propelled them to within three points of leaders Arsenal.
The remarkable form flies in the face of earlier season critiques and a recent four-game spell where goals were hard to come by. "After 13 games they'd scored 16 goals in the league. That's now changed overnight," Jordan noted, highlighting the team's sudden and potent momentum.
The Financial Reality Check
Despite the on-pitch heroics, Jordan delivered a sobering assessment of Villa's capacity to sustain a championship challenge against the financial might of their rivals. He pinpointed the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) as a critical constraint.
"The difficulty for Villa was the reason why they go down the loan route is because PSR challenges bite their backside," Jordan explained. He contrasted Villa's situation with Arsenal's, whose annual turnover of £500-600 million provides a significant buffer against such regulations.
This financial disparity, Jordan argues, limits Villa's activity in the transfer market, as seen in their modest summer window and low expectations for major signings in the upcoming January transfer window.
Arsenal Favourites as Squad Depth Test Looms
While praising Villa as a "great club" with a storied history, including their 1982 European Cup win, Jordan ultimately backed Arsenal for the title. He believes Mikel Arteta's squad possesses greater depth, which will prove decisive during the gruelling months of February and March.
"It feels that this is Arsenal's time because it feels they've got a bigger and better squad with more depth when the muck and bullets start flying," he stated.
Nevertheless, Jordan celebrated Villa's unexpected charge, which has disrupted the anticipated two-horse race between Arsenal and Manchester City. "It adds a different conundrum to the title race," he concluded, acknowledging that Emery's alchemy has made the Premier League narrative far more compelling.
