Aston Villa seal Europa Conference League spot: Key Stats
What's the story
Aston Villa finished their Premier League 2022-23 season on a high with a 2-1 win over Brighton on the final day. A first-half blitzkrieg from the Villans simply blew away Brighton at Villa Park and secured their spot in the Europa Conference League. Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins found the net for the hosts, whereas Deniz Undav pulled one back for the visitors.
Summary
How did the match pan out?
Villa had a great start when Luiz cannoned the ball into the bottom corner from a Jacob Ramsey cutback. Brighton's equalizer from Undav in the 20th minute was adjudged offside. While Villa extended their lead through Watkins. Undav finally scored in the 30th minute from a Pascal Gross free-kick but eventually, it wasn't enough. Villa held their shape nicely throughout the second half.
Record
Record finish for Aston Villa
Aston Villa finished seventh in the Premier League and have secured their Europa Conference League spot for next season. This is their best finish in the PL since the 2009-10 season when the Villans finished in the sixth position. They will play in European competition next season for the first time since the 2010-11 season. They featured in the Europa League back then.
Wins
A stellar record at Villa Park
As mentioned, Villa finished the season in seventh position and have earned a spot in the Europa Conference League. This was their 18th win of the PL season. They have registered more wins in a PL campaign only once in the 1992-93 season (21 wins). Notably, they have won seven successive PL games at Villa Park for the first time since February 1993.
2022-23 season
Aston Villa finishes in the top half of the PL
After finishing 14th in the league last season, Villa showed a massive turnaround. Unai Emery had a plan and the players executed it perfectly to finish seventh in the league while qualifying for the Europa Conference League. They lost to Stevenage 2-1 in the third round of the FA Cup while bowing out of the Carabao Cup with a 4-2 defeat against Manchester United.
Key performers
A look at Villa's key performers
Watkins is their talisman with 15 goals and six assists in the PL this season. Brazilian midfielder Luiz has contributed to six goals and as many assists, whereas Ramsey has also netted six goals and provided seven assists. Emiliano Buendia, Leon Bailey and Ramsey have registered eight big chances. Boubacar Kamara and Matty Cash average 2.4 and 2.1 tackles per game respectively.
Points table
Aston Villa's best PL finish in the last decade
Aston Villa's season ended on a high with a win over Brighton, registering their 18th win in the current PL campaign. They finished with 61 points, a point below Brighton. Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United finished in the top four spots, qualifying for the Champions League. Liverpool finished fifth with 67 points, followed by Brighton, making it to the Europa League.