Aston Villa head coach earns award for a third time after leading team to five wins in six games.
Unai Emery has been crowned Manager of the Month for December, collecting the honour for the third time in his career.
The Spaniard guided Aston Villa to an outstanding run of five victories from six fixtures to end 2025, a surge in form that has firmly placed the club in the Premier League title conversation.
Villa’s standout month
Villa kicked off December with a dramatic seven-goal encounter away to Brighton & Hove Albion, where Ollie Watkins struck twice in a thrilling 4–3 triumph.
That result was followed by a memorable 2–1 home win over Arsenal, sealed by Emiliano Buendía’s dramatic winner deep into stoppage time, sending Villa Park into celebration.
Narrow victories became a theme as Villa edged past West Ham United 3–2, before securing back-to-back 2–1 wins against Manchester United and Chelsea.
Their eight-match Premier League winning streak came to a halt with a heavy 4–1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates on 30 December. However, Villa responded positively, taking four points from a possible six since the turn of the year to strengthen their hold on third place.
This is Emery’s first Manager of the Month award since 2023, a year in which he claimed the prize twice—in April and December.
He is now one of five Villa managers or head coaches to receive the Barclays Manager of the Month award. Only Martin O’Neill, with four wins, has claimed the honour more often for the club than Emery, who now has three.
Emery topped a four-man shortlist that also included Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), and Daniel Farke (Leeds United), following a combination of fan votes and expert panel selections.
2025/26 Manager of the Month winners
August: Arne Slot (Liverpool)
September: Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace)
October: Ruben Amorim (Man Utd)
November: Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)
December: Unai Emery (Aston Villa)
