When Emery arrived in October 2022, Steven Gerrard had just been sacked, and the club was 17th in the Premier League, only a point above the drop zone.
Villa finished the 2022/23 season in 7th and qualified for Europe. Since then, he has transformed the side into Europa League winners, helping the side win silverware for the first time in 30 years.
This comes after the side lost the likes of Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins over the past five years, making Emery's achievements even more impressive as he lost the key components of his squad.
Emery deserves a lot of credit at Villa
Villa are chasing European football for the fifth successive year under him this season as they battle in the Champions League. Speaking on behalf of MrQ, Bent was all praise for Emery, who he believes is a genius.
Villa are still performing well despite losing so many players over these years, how much is that down to Unai Emery?
"I think all of it is down to Unai Emery. I think he's an absolute genius and he's a master, because he's lost players before, and he's still managed to rebuild the team now. And you look at what they lost in this, when you look at what they lost this summer, right, it is absolutely mind-blowing.
"Aston Villa lost the whole spine of their team. They lost the goalkeeper, Martinez. They lost Konsa, who is for me, England's best centre-half, and one of the best defenders in the league. They then lost Ollie Watkins, and they lost Morgan Rogers.
"They lost so many players that you go, oh my goodness, that's that for Aston Villa now? But Emery, he rebuilds it, reshuffles it, and then you go, well, hold on, they look as good as ever. They look absolutely brilliant. So he deserves a lot of credit, Unai Emery.
"He is a master, and I'm shocked, really shocked, that no other club, like with Manchester United’s situation, has gone, ‘Do you know what? I know it's going to be expensive, but on the flip side, we have to go and get him’.
"Because if we give him time, he can transform this scenario and make the best of a bad situation. And then he'll kind of implement his style and make the team better. I think he's been brilliant. I think he's top, top level."
Were you ever worried at any point that Unai Emery could have left Villa for Manchester United?
"I was worried, because it's Man United, who are still one of the biggest clubs in the world. I think Unai Emery is almost thinking he's got a bit of unfinished business with the top, top clubs because, although Aston Villa are ahead of Man United right now, and currently where the teams are, in terms of stature of football club, Man United are just bigger. That's just fact.
"And you look at his PSG tenure, you look at his Arsenal tenure, he wasn't really given long enough to kind of get his kind of style across.
"I do wonder if at some point he's thinking to himself, right, because his greatest success, no disrespect, has been at clubs like Aston Villa, Villarreal, Sevilla. I wonder if he just wants another crack at that top, top level where he proves to everyone, this is the level I belong at.
"So I think at some point he's going to have aspirations of managing at the very, very highest level, but right now he's doing a wonderful job with Aston Villa, and long may it continue."
Could Emery have joined Man Utd?
Earlier this season, Emery was heavily linked with the Manchester United job, as now sacked manager Michael Carrick continued to struggle and come under pressure.
Villa released a statement confirming a clear commitment beyond 2029 after talks between Emery and club chiefs, whilst The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported that Villa weren’t worried about losing him, despite constant rumours.
Bent believes that if Emery has certain demands that need to be met, and if they aren't handed to him then he won't consider leaving Villa after over four years in charge.
Do you think that if Emery were to join United, and we look at sort of the mess they're in, would that the biggest mistake of his career for him to join United?
"No, because I think for a manager like Unai Emery, he demands that he gets exactly what he needs. And if he doesn't, he won’t come, or he’ll leave.
"And, do you know what, I think there was a time earlier in his career, like maybe PSG, maybe the Arsenal situation, where because of the opportunity that was there, he jumped at it without really sitting and thinking about it.
"Right, a top club's come up, I've got to take this opportunity, it may never come again.
But because of the success he's had at Villarreal, Sevilla, and certainly Aston Villa, I think now he will be more patient in order to himself and say, listen, this is what I need to succeed at Manchester United. If you're not willing to give me free rein and give me everything that I require, I just won't come, simple as that.
"So I think he's got time on his hands and that patience. I think the next time, and if he did go to Man United, he'd be more prepared because he'll say, listen, I need X, Y and Z. If you don't give it to me, I'm not coming. So they'd almost be forced to give it to him, to make him, to give him every possible opportunity to succeed."
Nicolas Jackson is thriving at Villa
Under Emery, Jackson has started all 9 of his Premier League matches this season, scoring six and grabbing one assist as he finds his footing after years of underwhelming performances.
The striker, who became an outcast at both Chelsea and Bayern, also has three goals in four Champions League appearances in what has been a fine run of form for the 25 year old. Bent opened up on the striker, who he believes has been incredible so far for Villa.
How impressed have you been with Nicolas Jackson so far this season? He's obviously on fire at the moment. He seemed to struggle at Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Why do you think he's doing so well at Aston Villa now?
"Well, I think the manager, Unai Emery’s got a big part to play in that. He knows Jackson really well from Villarreal, really likes him. And I always found it really bizarre that Chelsea let him go, if I'm honest. I always thought to myself, Chelsea need to keep hold of him because, yeah, he might miss a lot of chances and he's not the most prolific, but he always gets in the right positions. He always works hard and that pace that he's got is always going to be a threat.
"And you look at the Chelsea scenario now with Joao Pedro being out, he'd have been a fantastic option to kind of have there as kind of the backup centre-forward. And also when you look at Palmer's form, his best numbers were when he was playing with Nicolas Jackson. So I would have kept him around at Chelsea.
So the fact that Aston Villa got him, and I always wondered this. I guess in the long term, yes, Watkins I think is a better option, a better centre-forward. But in this short-term option now and what Jackson's doing, I don't think there's been any kind of drop-off since Jackson came in and Watkins left.
"So now you start to think, well, is it a downgrade or is it an upgrade having Jackson in the team? Because him and Manzambi at the minute are linking so well. He seems to have sorted out his finishing too, where he is more composed.
"He is more calm in front of goal, he's more prolific, and again, you look, you look at the way Villa play, he's so good at almost, like, getting on the end of things that are maybe not even necessarily for him, little passes in behind, his work creating in behind for the team as well. I think he's been brilliant.
"I think, so far this season, you have to say Jackson's been one of the bargains of the season, even though he's on loan."
Villa next face Sunderland, a game that, if three points are secured, could send Emery's side into the top six in the Premier League after what has been a tricky start.