Aston Villa 2021/22 Season Review: All the Emotions

Aston Villa’s 2021/22 season, their third consecutive year in the Premier League, can only be described in one word: rollercoaster. There were highs, there were lows, and every emotion that a football fan could possibly feel, Aston Villa fans endured.

The main thing the Claret and Blue Villans lacked at the beginning of the season was consistency. What contributed to the lack of form was the void left behind by homegrown star and beloved captain, Jack Grealish, who took off in the summer to join reigning league champions, Manchester City, for £100 million.

After only a couple of decent wins, especially against Manchester United at the end of September, Villa fell into a losing streak, resulting in the surprise sacking of manager Dean Smith.

To even more surprise, Villa’s newly appointed manager was none other than Liverpool legend, Steven Gerrard. The players instantly bought into his new project, immediately injecting more energy and structure into the team. The January transfer window saw Villa more active than expected, bringing in the likes of Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona and Lucas Digne from Everton.

While finishing 14th in the league this season (three spots lower than last season) is under par than what was expected, the Villans still regained confidence under Gerrard and stood toe-to-toe against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City. (Yes, they blew a 2-0 lead against City on Championship Sunday, but they made City WORK for that W).