Unai Emery records century of wins

Unai Emery has reached another milestone in his incredible managerial career following our UEFA Europa League success against LOSC Lille.

Thursday's 1-0 victory at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in northern France gave Emery his 100^th victory for the club, making him only the third Villa boss to attain the magical figure. And he has reached his century much faster than either of his predecessors.

Ron Saunders, the most successful boss in the club’s history, achieved 180 league and cup wins during his time at the helm, reaching the 100 mark at the end 1977/78, his fourth season in charge.

By that stage, Saunders had led us to promotion from the old Second Division and twice won the League Cup. He would go on to deliver the club’s first League Championship for 71 years in 1980/81.

And Joe Mercer, another boss who won promotion back to the top flight and oversaw a League Cup triumph, had been manager for four-and-a-half years before clocking up the 100^th of his 119 Villa victories.

By comparison, Emery has achieved his century in three years and four months (181 matches) since his sequence began with a 3-1 success against Manchester United in November 2022.

Since then, Villa have maintained a consistently high level of success, including a club record 36 wins in 2025, and Emery currently boasts the highest win rate of any Villa manager, with 55 per cent to Saunders’ 46 per cent and Mercer’s 43 per cent.

The remarkable first-century feat gives the Spaniard one more win than Vic Crowe, who stalled on 99, although the former Villa player’s league victories were all in the old Second and Third Divisions.

Here's to many more and here’s to you, Unai Emery!