Can Emery do it again? Player churn leaves Spaniard facing greatest Villa challenge

BRIGHTON, Aug 22 : Unai Emery has proven time and again at his various clubs that he can deliver even after his crown jewels are sold on from under his nose but the rebuilding challenge he now faces at Aston Villa might be his biggest so far.

The Spaniard watched aghast on Sunday as Europa League winners Villa were dismantled 4-0 in their Premier League opener at Brighton and Hove Albion.

A surprising result on paper perhaps, but Villa fans who made the trip to the south coast might have feared the worst.

Only five of the players that started the Europa League final against Freiburg on that memorable night in Istanbul in May, began the match at Brighton.

England duo Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa have joined Chelsea and Arsenal respectively, Lucas Digne has gone to Paris St Germain and Youri Tielemans is now a Manchester United player.

It could get worse too with striker Ollie Watkins left out on Sunday with his Villa future in doubt.

Villa also sold some of their prime assets ahead of last season yet Emery's side still finished fourth and claimed the club's first European title for 44 years.

The endless player churn has become a recurring theme of Villa's rise under Emery. Yet while previous overhauls have been absorbed without derailing progress, the scale of this summer's departures leaves far greater uncertainty over whether Villa can remain among England's elite.

Not that he was complaining about the cards he has been dealt on Sunday - vowing instead to forge another team capable of challenging English soccer's elite.

"We know, we had it before here. We had it in different moments. In four years we had it maybe five times in different circumstances," Emery told Sky Sports.

"But we are going forward, moving always forward. My