Unai Emery has the opportunity to claim a notable Champions League milestone when Aston Villa travel to face Club Brugge on Tuesday evening. According to Sports Mole, a victory in Belgium would move the head coach above Arne Slot in the record books for managerial success rates in the competition while representing a Premier League side.
Emery has guided Villa to eight victories across 12 European fixtures, giving him a 67 per cent return. That figure currently ranks second among managers who have overseen at least 10 Champions League matches for an English club, with Slot holding top spot after winning 15 of his 22 games in charge of Liverpool, a rate of 68 per cent. Three points on Tuesday would push the Spaniard clear at the summit.
The trip comes at a welcome moment for Villa, whose domestic form has stuttered. Defeats and draws against Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Hull City have left them near the bottom of the table heading into the new European campaign.
Belgian opposition will be familiar territory. The two clubs met twice during the 2024-25 tournament, which remains Emery's sole Champions League season with the Midlands outfit so far. Villa progressed past them at the last-16 stage but suffered a 1-0 loss in the league phase, a result that stands as Club Brugge's only triumph in 17 attempts against English opponents.
There may be reason for optimism beyond the historical trend. Club Brugge have shipped 43 goals across 22 Champions League ties since the 2024-25 season began, although they are chasing what would be only their second run of three consecutive group or league-phase victories.
Should George Hemmings be named in the starting line-up, the teenager would write his own piece of history. Having featured from the outset in all four of Villa's domestic outings this term, the 19-year-old would become the youngest player to start a European Cup or Champions League match for the club since Mark Walters did so in March 1983.
