How Emery has reshaped Villa's squad after a summer of heavy turnover

Aston Villa head into the remainder of September having won three of their last four matches across all competitions, and Birmingham Live has taken stock of how Unai Emery has adjusted his approach following a transformative summer window.

One of the most visible shifts has come between the posts. Zion Suzuki, signed from Parma in August, has settled quickly after Emiliano Martínez’s departure to Chelsea. The publication highlights the Japanese goalkeeper’s willingness to play out from the back, citing an overall Premier League passing accuracy of 67.8 per cent and an average of 25.3 accurate passes per 90 minutes, a figure bettered by only three other keepers in the division.

Suzuki himself spoke positively about his manager’s methods after making his debut against Arsenal, describing Emery’s demands as interesting and well suited to his own style of building attacks with his feet.

Beyond individual performances, the profile of the squad has changed markedly. Birmingham Live points out that only Fulham had an older group of players than Villa last season, but the exits of Watkins, Konsa, Tielemans, Digne and Martínez have brought the average age down considerably. In their place, arrivals such as Nicolas Jackson, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, João Gomes, Matteo Ruggeri and Ibrahim Mbaye have all joined while aged 25 or under.

Teenagers Brian Madjo and George Hemmings have also been promoted into first-team contention, while the free signing of Leon Goretzka from Bayern Munich was identified as a move designed to ensure the dressing room retains sufficient experience alongside its younger members.

Emery will be hoping none of his players return with issues from international duty, particularly with Goretzka, Madjo and Pau Torres working towards full fitness. Villa’s next competitive fixture is a home Premier League meeting with Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday 10 October.