Villa could still go up another level - Sutton

The Scene: The floodlights at Villa Park are cutting through the Birmingham drizzle, but the noise from the Holte End isn't the anxious, desperate plea of a fanbase hoping to survive. It is a guttural, arrogant roar. It’s the sound of 40,000 people realizing that the team lining up opposite them—whether it’s Bayern Munich or Manchester City—is actually quite terrified of what’s about to happen. Unai Emery stands on the touchline, wildly gesticulating, not with panic, but with the precision of an air traffic controller landing a jumbo jet on a postage stamp. This isn't a plucky underdog story anymore; this is the sight of a sleeping giant waking up and realizing it’s bigger than everyone else in the room.

Stop Patronizing the Villans

Let’s cut the nonsense immediately. When Chris Sutton went on the Monday Night Club and suggested Aston Villa could "go up another level," he was met with the usual thoughtful nods. Conor Coady chimed in about their title credentials. It was polite. It was respectful. But frankly, it still feels like the footballing establishment is patting Villa on the head.

We are obsessed with the "Big Six" narrative. We cling to it like a security blanket because it makes the Premier League easy to market. But look at the reality. Manchester City is fighting fatigue and legal headaches. Arsenal is brilliant but neurotic. Liverpool is in a transition period that is going better than expected but remains fragile. Manchester United and Chelsea? They are soap operas with goalposts.

Sutton is right, but he needs to be louder. Villa isn't just a team that *might* crack the top four again. They are a team built to dismantle the hierarchy. The "level" Sutton refers to isn't securing fourth place comfortably; it’s challenging for the whole thing. Why are we so afraid to say it? Is it because they don't have the commercial revenue of Old Trafford? The league table doesn't care about shirt sales.

"Unai Emery isn't managing a football team; he is conducting a grand social experiment to see how high a defensive line can go before the laws of physics break down. And right now, physics is losing."

The Emery Redemption is Complete

The revisionism surrounding Unai Emery in England is staggering. We mocked him at Arsenal. We made memes about his accent. We dismissed him as a Europa League merchant. What fools we were. What we are witnessing now is one of the most sophisticated tactical evolutions in modern Premier League history.

Consider the high line. When Emery first implemented his offside trap at Villa, pundits screamed it was suicide. They waited for the inevitable 5-0 thrashing where pacy wingers would destroy them. It rarely happened. Instead, Villa has suffocated opponents, condensing the pitch into a chaotic 30-yard strip where chaos reigns—and Villa thrives in chaos.

This isn't luck. This is drill-sergeant repetition. Emery has taken players who were considered "good enough" and turned them into world-beaters. Look at the spine of this team:

Emi Martinez: The best goalkeeper in the world. No debate. He wins points through sheer force of personality.
Youri Tielemans: A player who looked finished at Leicester, now controlling midfields against Champions League elite.
Ollie Watkins: He isn't just a goalscorer; he is the first line of defense and the most tireless runner in the league.
Morgan Rogers: The symbol of their recruitment—smart, undervalued, and physically dominant.

The Myth of Squad Depth

The primary argument against Villa going "up another level," as Sutton puts it, is the fatigue factor. "They have Champions League football now," the skeptics cry. "They don't have the squad depth of City or Arsenal."

Is that actually true, or is it just lazy analysis? Look at the bench. Look at the impact of Jhon Duran. The boy is a chaos agent of the highest order, coming off the bench to score winners like it's a casual hobby. When you have a substitute striker outscoring most team's starters, you don't have a depth problem; you have an abundance of riches.

Furthermore, let's challenge the idea that you need two world-class players in every position to win the league. Leicester City proved that was a lie. Liverpool won their title with a core group of 14 players who played almost every minute. Chemistry and tactical clarity often trump a bench worth £500 million that lacks cohesion.

The Psychological Edge

There is something else brewing at Villa Park that statistics can't measure. It’s the chip on the shoulder. When you watch them play, you see a team that feels slighted. Martinez embodies this. He wants to ruin your day. He wants to waste time, make the save, dance in your face, and take the three points home.

This nastiness is essential. Arsenal, for all their beauty, are often accused of being too emotional. City are robotic. Villa is streetwise. They manage games better than anyone outside the top two. If Sutton believes they can go up a level, that level is ruthlessness. It’s turning those frustrating draws into gritty 1-0 wins.

The Verdict: Believe the Hype

So, what does this mean for the season? It means the media needs to update its script. We need to stop talking about a "Top 4" race involving Villa and start including them in the title conversation until they prove they don't belong there.

Unai Emery has built a machine that is greater than the sum of its parts. While Ten Hag flails at United and Chelsea play fantasy football with their balance sheet, Villa operates with a competence that is terrifying to the established elite. Chris Sutton says they can go up a level. I say they already have—we’re just too slow to notice.

The ceiling for this team doesn't exist because their manager doesn't believe in one. Aston Villa isn't crashing the party; they are buying the venue and kicking the old guard out.