Unai Emery says he can be happy about Aston Villa’s season as he does not see his team as a top-seven side, and there were even concerns from the Spaniard that the club could be in the relegation fight this season.
Emery’s Villa face a crucial final week of the season – facing Liverpool and Manchester City in a bid to secure a Champions League qualification spot, either side of their Europa League final with Freiburg next Wednesday.
But Villa go into Friday night’s clash with Liverpool, live on Sky Sports, having failed to win their last three league games, including a 2-2 draw with relegated Burnley last Sunday.
Beat Liverpool on Friday and Champions League football is secured for next season. But defeat could create a nervy end to the season in terms of a top-five finish.
But Emery is still positive about the overall season – as his side are overachieving compared to other clubs and their bigger resources.
“For me there is top seven,” says Emery in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports when asked if there is still a ‘Big Six’ in the Premier League. “Newcastle – I think – is in the top seven.
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“We have seen – at the beginning of the season – that there is a top seven in front of us. We are with West Ham, we are with Everton, we are with maybe Fulham or maybe Brighton. We are the teams behind those teams in the top seven.
“But there is as well Bournemouth, Brighton, Fulham, Brentford. They are performing fantastic.
“And for different circumstances as well, some teams they are not getting their target – and as well are in the relegation zone. Normally West Ham is a team that should be close with us as well. This is the Premier League.”
‘I thought we could be relegated – then I dreamed of winning the title’
Speaking of West Ham, Emery has revealed he had concerns about his team having a similar fate to the Hammers, who are in the relegation zone with two rounds of games left.
Villa got off to a disastrous start to the Premier League season themselves – failing to win any of their first five league matches. And the Spaniard recalls a scenario where he thought a relegation fight was a possibility.
“At the beginning, I was worried,” adds Emery. “After the first month and the first five matches we played and we were in the bottom, I was worried. Because I know how difficult the Premier League is.
Emery admits he was worried about being relegated at the start of the season
“In that moment I was worried because I was thinking if we are not reacting, maybe we can’t be involved in the Premier League, be in the relegation zone and maybe we can’t escape this position.
“Of course we did – and quickly – and then we set our level higher and we are keeping it until now. And even not being [at the level of] the last two months in our performance like we did before, we are keeping it.”
Villa, of course, recovered – winning 12 out of their next 13 league games – and Emery then felt his team was capable of a title fight.
“Of course when we were in December and we were close with Manchester City and Arsenal even I was dreaming in that moment to fight with them for the title,” he recalls.
“But of course, we couldn’t keep the same level they have and the same level they are showing. Their power is more than us, it’s clear.
“But we were competing fantastic and of course we are Aston Villa, we have our historic way. We have our process here as well now. And how we are doing it, I am so, so happy.
“Why? Because we are competing against better teams than us. In the beginning of the season they [those team] started being contenders, like for example – Tottenham or Newcastle or Chelsea. They are behind us.
“They have as well their ambition, priority and their target to be in the position we are more or less in.
“To be there is very difficult but there are a lot of teams in the Premier League performing fantastic like Brighton, like Bournemouth and they are close to us as well.
“This is the Premier League, it’s very difficult and you must be so so resilient when you are not performing well to try to keep possibilities to react and to get better like we did.”
Will Villa be thinking of Europa final during Liverpool game?
Friday 15th May 7:00pm
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So with the Liverpool game, live on Sky Sports, coming days before their Europa League final – which can secure Champions League qualification if they win it – will Villa’s players be 100 per cent focused on facing Arne Slot’s Reds?
“We are focusing on the [Liverpool] match,” says Emery. “And the only way I know is to try to prepare the game with our analysis of everything we are doing, with our work in the training session, in practice trying to set for the match – tactically, set pieces.
“The objective is to arrive at 8pm just 100% thinking about the match we have. And of course, it is a huge challenge for us and a huge test how we are with them.
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“We are now with the same points. How can we individually and collectively and myself as a coach test playing against them? For me, it’s something that makes a huge challenge.
“Of course we are going to play a final, of course we can feel it’s a very good opportunity, but we can’t lose. If we are losing we are achieving nothing.”
Watch Aston Villa vs Liverpool live on Sky Sports’ Friday Night Football, kick-off at 8pm…
