London, our record for winning big trophies (even of late, as it was only 7 months ago we won the first ever REAL world football championship, one with almost very singlebig team on the planet in it, with only Barca missing, and technically Arse, although Arse, in 140 seasons of footie, have never won fuckall in terms of important Euro nor global trophies) ...
........and we simply have better players overall.
Villa are a rapidly ageing side for the most part as well. Their only 3 important players under 27yo sometime next season are
Amadou Onana 25yo next season
Ian Maatsen turns 25yo in late winter 2026/27
and IF he stays, Morgan Rogers turns 24 this summer, before next season starts
plus the following will all be 30yo and up at some point next season
Emiliano Martínez turns 34yo
Tyrone Mings turns 34yo
Lucas Digne 33yo
Ross Barkley turns 33yo
Victor Lindelöf 32yo
John McGinn turns 32yo
Ollie Watkins turns 31yo
Emiliano Buendía turns 30yo
Pau Torres turns 30yo
Youri Tielemans turns 30yo
plus the following four all turn 30yo in summer or fall of 2027
Matty Cash
Leon Bailey
Tammy Abraham
Ezri Konsa
and finally
Douglas Luiz turns 30yo in the spring of the 2027/28 season