Part two of our look back on Aston Villa’s 2024/25 season begins in November with the team sitting fourth in the Premier League and impressing in the Champions League.
After a bright opening to the campaign, this proved to be a tough month at home and abroad for Unai Emery’s men.
Villa’s seven-game unbeaten run in the top flight was brought to an abrupt end in North London when Tottenham Hotspur ran riot in the second half to claim a 4-1 win.
A contentious penalty led to a loss against Club Brugge days later, the team’s first defeat of the League Phase.
November continued to frustrate when Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners at Anfield before Villa twice came from behind to pick up a point in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at home via goals from Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley.
However, the month ended on an encouraging note when Villa went toe-to-toe with Juventus, earning a goalless draw in B6.
Emi Martínez, having paraded the prestigious Yashin Trophy to supporters before kick-off, produced a superb one-handed save to claw Francisco Conceicao’s stooping second-half header off the goal-line, underlining why he was crowned the best goalkeeper in the world for a second consecutive year.
Seven matches made for a hectic December schedule, and a dominant first half featuring goals from Morgan Rogers, Watkins and Matty Cash got Villa back to winning ways against Brentford after the month began with defeat at Chelsea.
Further league triumphs over Southampton and Manchester City, the latter coming via a commanding performance in a 2-1 success at home, saw the team up to sixth in the table at Christmas, while a late Barkley winner grabbed a superb 3-2 win at RB Leipzig to boost hope of a top eight finish in the Champions League.
The men’s and women’s squads also took the chance to spread festive cheer via their annual visits to Acorns Children’s Hospice and Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the build-up to the big day.
A 3-0 loss at St James’ Park was a sucker punch on Boxing Day, but the team reacted with a five-game unbeaten run in the league as 2024 ended with a 2-2 draw at home to Brighton & Hove Albion and 2025 began on a positive note.
The club also came together to remember our proud history when our FA Cup third round tie at home to West Ham United was designated as a 150th Anniversary Fixture.
A special commemorative kit, modelled on the first kits worn by the club before the transition to our famous claret and blue colours, added to the evening as Villa fought back to win 2-1 through goals from Amadou Onana and Rogers.
Days before the cup tie, a special exhibition, Aston Villa: The Art of Legacy, was held at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. The night blended art, history and football culture into an unforgettable experience to mark Villa’s historic milestone, bringing together players and staff from past eras.
On the pitch, January produced eight points from a possible 12 in the top flight, including a swashbuckling fightback from two goals down to draw with title contenders Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
Emery’s men also played out the final two fixtures of their league phase campaign in the Champions League, suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to AS Monaco before a night of reckoning against Celtic.
An unforgettable Ozzy Osbourne tifo was unfurled at Villa Park as the players walked out of the tunnel, and the stadium was rocking thanks to a Rogers brace in the opening five minutes. The Scottish champions hit back to level things up before Watkins netted and Rogers completed his first senior hat-trick to secure eighth place in the standings and a direct route to the round of 16.
Stay tuned for the third and final part of our Season Review…
