Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca: There is much to learn from Aston Villa's Unai Emery

Villa endured a difficult start to the league season under Unai Emery, recording three draws and two defeats in their opening five matches. Despite the sluggish beginning, Emery resisted the urge to panic or abandon his approach.

That composure has since paid significant dividends. Villa recovered emphatically and arrive at Stamford Bridge in formidable form, having won ten consecutive matches in all competitions.

Their most recent success came last Sunday, when they claimed an impressive victory over Manchester United.

Maresca has credited Villa's turnaround to Emery's unwavering commitment to his tactical philosophy, noting that sustained success often follows consistency rather than short-term reactions. The Chelsea head coach believes his own side must learn from that example.

"This has to be a key thing for any manager because the moment things don't go the right way and you start to doubt, I think it's the beginning of the end," said Maresca.

"I try to believe in what I believe, no matter if things don't go the right way, because it can be for different reasons.

"I try to learn and watch as many games as possible. I try to see things. For sure when you see Unai's teams you can learn many things, and he's one of the managers where you can learn things.

"I've seen him before because I faced Emery when I was a player and he was Almeria manager. It's many, many years ago now, 20 years ago.

"So Unai is doing a fantastic job everywhere and he deserves it because his work ethic is very, very big." 

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