Emery named among managers under early pressure as Villa await first league win

Unai Emery has been included in a Sports Mole assessment of Premier League managers who could be the first to lose their jobs this season, with the outlet pointing to Aston Villa’s failure to win any of their opening four league fixtures. Villa drew 0-0 at Hull City, lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal and were beaten 2-1 by Nottingham Forest at Villa Park, leaving them without a top-flight victory heading into Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

The publication groups Emery alongside Frank Lampard at Coventry City, Alvaro Arbeloa at Fulham, Roberto De Zerbi and Michael Carrick. Sky Bet odds cited by Sports Mole make Lampard and Arbeloa joint favourites at 3/1 to depart first, while Emery is discussed more as part of the wider landscape rather than an immediate candidate for dismissal.

Coventry’s situation appears the most precarious, having lost all four league matches without scoring and conceded ten goals. Wednesday’s 3-1 League Cup defeat at the Coventry Building Society Arena against Villa only deepened the gloom for Lampard, whose side managed just a single goal through a Victor Torp free kick.

Villa’s own form outside the Premier League offers some reassurance. A 3-2 Champions League victory away at Club Brugge earlier this month was followed by the comfortable cup win over Coventry, suggesting the squad remains competitive even if league results have stalled.

Eight clubs began the campaign with new managers, creating what Sports Mole describes as one of the most unsettled landscapes in recent Premier League history. That context means several dugouts are being watched closely before the extended international break begins on 21 September.

Emery’s task now is to convert performances into league points when Villa visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday at 12:30 UK time. A first Premier League win would quickly remove his name from such speculative lists.