Emery's rebuilt Villa find their rhythm after dramatic win at Spurs

Aston Villa’s 3-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday has prompted fresh optimism around Unai Emery’s project, with the Express & Star suggesting the club’s extensive summer rebuild is finally clicking into gear. The local paper notes that after a difficult opening to the campaign, the team appears to be heading in the right direction once more.

The early weeks of the season tested Emery’s heavily reshuffled squad. A 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal on the final day of August was followed by a goalless draw at Hull City and a 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, raising questions about how quickly the new arrivals could adapt.

Those concerns have been eased by three consecutive victories across all competitions. A 3-2 Champions League win at Club Brugge and a 3-1 League Cup success at Coventry City preceded Saturday’s dramatic result in north London, offering tangible evidence that the blend of recent signings and retained players is starting to function effectively.

Villa underwent significant change before the transfer window closed on 1 September. Departures included Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Lucas Digne, while Emery brought in Leon Goretzka, Nicolas Jackson, Alejandro Garnacho, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Matteo Ruggeri, Zion Suzuki, Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi.

Integrating that volume of new personnel was always likely to require patience, and the Express & Star’s assessment reflects a growing sense that the hardest part of the transition may now be behind the squad. The combination of established figures and fresh faces is beginning to look more cohesive on the pitch.

Villa do not play again until Saturday 10 October, when they host Brentford at Villa Park in the Premier League. The extended gap between fixtures gives Emery additional time on the training ground to refine the patterns that have started to emerge during this improved run of results.