Published Sep 29, 2026, 8:10 AM GMT+1

Tottenham Hotspur have fallen by the wayside; Newcastle have made a lunge for the top, but went tumbling down last season.

After winning the Europa League last term, it looked like Villa Park would follow Newcastle in falling back down, but Emery has somehow been forced into wholesale changes in the transfer market and has emerged with a new team looking fit to rise back to the top.

This manager really is different from the rest. See, for example, how he has replaced Morgan Rogers with Johan Manzambi.

How Manzambi can replace Rogers at Aston Villa

If you needed any convincing over Aston Villa's strong position, look at how they stole Manzambi from Newcastle United, who had appeared to be frontrunners to sign the Freiburg midfielder this summer.

Manzambi, 20, rose to fame this summer as he dazzled for Switzerland at the World Cup. Swiss manager Murat Yakin called the midfielder a "special player", coming up clutch with emphatic goals and explosive off-the-bench displays.

Described as the "direct replacement" for Rogers by The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell, it's hard not to get excited about Manzambi, whose underlying data and dynamism across central and wide attacking positions bespeaks his potential to succeed Chelsea's £117m summer signing at Villa Park.

However, Emery may find he has another exciting prospect at his disposal who could yet emerge as Rogers' potential at Villa Park this season.

The real Rogers replacement is warming the bench at Aston Villa

Aston Villa lost a sensation in Rogers this summer, but Emery has shrewdly replaced him with Manzambi, who may yet be challenged by one of his Villan teammates.

For sure, it's been an inauspicious start to life at Aston Villa for Alejandro Garnacho, but the loan signing from Chelsea has all the attributes he needs to prove the doubters wrong and emulate someone like Rogers in developing into a superstar under Emery's wing.

Garnacho is undeniably at a low ebb, but this is a winger who proved during his early days in the Premier League that he is something special.

He was hailed by Erik ten Hag at Manchester United as a winger with the "X-factor" needed to become a "world-class player", but conceded that he had a long way to go.

Four years on, the 23-year-old still hasn't bridged that gap, but he has shown on numerous occasions an ability to conjure up spectacular moments, raising the roof with wonder goals and explosive dribbles.

He is more of a 'proper' winger than Rogers, but the England international is increasingly comfortable out wide, and with that in mind, Garnacho could yet emerge as his successor at the Villa, should he win Emery over with improved training sessions and start working toward a permanent transfer to the club.

Garnacho flattered to deceive with Chelsea in the Premier League last season, only starting 11 games, but the Londoners were in freefall for much of the season, and Emery has created an environment within which rising stars such as the Argentina star can grow into their skin.

Garnacho's power, pace and belief in his own world-class potential could see him bloom into the superstar those around him have expected him to grow into for some time now.

Manzambi is a terrific young player, but he's more of a box-crashing midfielder. This is something Rogers performed with aplomb during his Villa days, but Garnacho could become the goalscoring, defence-splitting wide forward who could end up becoming the focal point that Rogers was as he spearheaded Asrton Villa's charge to the Europa League title last season.