Familiar foes go head-to-head but which boss will Basque in glory at Villa Park?
There won’t only be West Midlands pride at stake when Julen Lopetegui and Unai Emery face-off for the first time in the Premier League tonight.
In the dugouts it is also a derby of Gipuzkoa, the small Basque province from which both hail, their home towns separated by a mere 25 miles.
It is a swift reunion for two men who last met less than four months ago, when Emery’s Villarreal held Lopetegui’s Sevilla to a 1-1 draw.
Now through different routes they are here, two coaches of huge pedigree charged with leading their own Spanish revolution at the region’s two top-flight clubs. Respect, as you might expect, is mutual.
“He is a very, very good coach,” said Emery of his opposite number. “He has experience and has decided as well to come to the Premier League.
“I think it’s fantastic because he coaches good teams. For me, it’s a big challenge because he demands a lot with his style. How we can battle them?”
“Of course, we are neighbours in our country and we have a big respect for each other,” said Lopetegui. “But on Wednesday we have different responsibilities and we want to win.
“He (Emery) is doing a very good job at Aston Villa and his team has improved a lot. I wish him the best. But not for this game.” Though tonight’s match is a big one for both teams, Wolves’ need for a result is obviously greater due to their lowly position in the table.
The sample size of Lopetegui’s reign might be small but there has been enough in his first two league matches in charge to suggest Wolves are going to be a much sturdier unit than in the first portion of the season, albeit it will likely require some savvy January signings to add much-needed quality. Matheus Cunha, the first new man through the door, could make his debut and add some welcome bite to the Premier League’s poorest attack, though the challenge against a rejuvenated Villa is as much at the other end of the field.
The eight goals Villa have scored in four matches under Emery is already more than they managed in the first 11 games of the season under his predecessor Steven Gerrard, a period when Wolves possessed the division’s only forward line with fewer teeth.
Suddenly Villa are a difficult team to keep out for 90 minutes, though it is worth noting the clean sheet they recorded in Sunday’s win at Tottenham was their first under the new boss.
Emery’s rapid impact has been impressive but just like Lopetegui at Wolves, it remains very much early days.
