The Guardian's Premier League 2026-27 season preview turns to Aston Villa, who enter the campaign as reigning Europa League champions but face a tougher task under manager Unai Emery after losing several key players and coaches. Guardian writers predict a seventh-place finish, a drop from last season's fourth, as Emery aims to secure back-to-back Champions League qualification for the first time.

Villa have lost three starting-lineup players from their Europa League final win – Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne – with Ezri Konsa also a target for Arsenal, alongside three coaching staff departures. New signing João Gomes (£38m from Wolves) and loanee Alejandro Garnacho are expected to fill the gaps, while Boubacar Kamara's return from injury is a boost. Off the pitch, Villa have signed a roughly £20m-a-year shirt sponsorship with Visit Rwanda, drawing criticism from Amnesty International, while Villa Park's North Stand redevelopment will reduce capacity to 37,000 this season ahead of a 2027-28 completion in time for Euro 2028.