Unai Emery’s Stance On £40m Aston Villa Winger’s Slow Start: Can They Turn Him Into A Regular Starter?
· Yahoo Sports
Aston Villa have backed Alejandro Garnacho with Unai Emery insisting the winger’s attitude and work in training give him reason for confidence. Birmingham Live reported the Argentine joined from Chelsea on a season-long loan containing a conditional obligation to buy linked to appearances. Garnacho has collected only 31 Premier League minutes from three substitute outings while teenager George Hemmings has started ahead of him.
Emery, though, sees no issue with Garnacho’s commitment. The manager added that Garnacho has improved in each training session and continues to meet the standards demanded at Aston Villa. Chelsea’s official records show Garnacho made 43 appearances in 2025/26, scoring eight goals and providing four assists across all competitions, putting the reset in context.
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“First is positive – his attitude. Very important is his attitude. And he wants. He is getting the commitment we need to achieve it,” Emery said.
“Now he needs time. Time, hard work every day, and he is showing it with his attitude. Then, he is progressing in everything.
“In every training session we are doing, he is showing he can play matches. He played a few minutes, but it was not enough, firstly due to the minutes he played and the things he showed.
“Progressively, I am seeing him improve. The most important thing is being consistent and demanding through the attitude he has. Then, I believe, and I trust that he will achieve his best performance progressively.”
Can Aston Villa turn Garnacho into a regular starter?
My view is yes, although Emery has little reason to rush him. Garnacho arrived after a difficult campaign for Chelsea, yet the raw output tells a different story from a player who simply failed. He produced eight goals and four assists in 43 appearances, with 2,397 minutes recorded by Chelsea.
Villa now need efficient attacking solutions after a disruptive summer, and the early results expose the issue. They failed to score in their opening three league matches before beating Club Brugge 3-2 in Europe, so Emery needs more threat from wide areas. Garnacho offers a type of running and one-v-one aggression that can change a match when opponents sit back.
Why could Garnacho become important at Aston Villa?
HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 05: Alejandro Garnacho of Aston Villa arrives at the stadium before the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Aston Villa FC at MKM Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
His first task is earning trust without the ball, because Emery demands constant discipline from attackers.
Emery asks his wide players to contribute without the ball, press at the right moments and recover their shape quickly, so talent alone won’t secure a starting place. Hemmings has begun with greater familiarity, but Villa’s Champions League schedule creates rotation opportunities, especially once injuries, fatigue and fixture congestion arrive.
The loan clause matters too. A conditional obligation tied to appearances gives Villa a clear incentive to test Garnacho properly, while Chelsea have a route to a permanent outcome if those conditions are met. Emery’s public backing suggests the manager sees a willing player rather than a problem. Garnacho doesn’t need to force the issue in one cameo; he needs to turn those training signs into repeatable match actions, then minutes should follow. Aston Villa could have a different attacking option by winter.