Exclusive: Aston Villa manager Unai Emery urges club to ‘dream again’ in UEFA Champions League
By Ben Southby
Updated 21/12/2024 at 09:39 GMT
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Unai Emery wants Aston Villa to "dream again" in the UEFA Champions League. The Spanish coach "believes in [Villa's] work" as they close in on a spot in the knockout stages, while he also hailed compatriot Pep Guardiola ahead of their match against Manchester City in the Premier League this Saturday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Unai Emery ticked off a major objective last season as he led Aston Villa to the top tier of European competition for the first time in 41 years.
The Spaniard said UEFA Champions League qualification was a distant "dream" for Villa when he replaced Steven Gerrard as the club’s manager in October 2022.
But after reigniting the European flame at Villa Park with UEFA Conference League qualification in his debut term in charge, Emery is urging his team to "dream again" as they close in on a place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
"[The Champions League] was a dream when I arrived here, because to play through the Premier League and Champions League is very difficult," Emery, who took over with Villa just outside the relegation zone on goal difference, told TNT Sports.
He was speaking ahead of his side's Saturday lunchtime clash with Manchester City, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
"We were very motivated to achieve our objective in the process as good as possible. After playing [in the] Conference League in Europe, we tried to get Champions League last year, and now, again, it’s been a dream.
"To play in the Champions League has been a dream, but of course, we can believe in our work, we are more or less overcoming a lot of difficulties we had. We have to try and dream again about it."
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Villa snatched a 3-2 victory in their latest European match against RB Leipzig, courtesy of a late Ross Barkley winner in Germany to propel them to fifth place in the inaugural league phase with two games to play.
That win was their fourth from six in the Champions League, as The Villans enjoyed their return under the former Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal boss.
After being impressive domestically as well in recent seasons - Emery guided Villa to a fourth-placed finish last season - he was asked if he found it hard to rest his mind.
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"That is my method," he answered honestly. "Each [coach] will have a method, our past as well. How we arrive here, being the coach we are.
"I try to set my method with the players and try to learn every day, try to identify every day how they are responding as well, the players, through my demands of them.
"I am trying to be an example, being demanding of myself a lot, then trying to ask of them the same. The players are responding very well.
"Sometimes I need a rest, like they need rest. We are taking some days off to [stay] fresh mentally as well."
Emery: Guardiola is still ‘the best’
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Pep Guadriola and Unai Emery.
Image credit: Getty Images
Up next for Villa is a home encounter with Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday lunchtime.
But it is not the relentless Sky Blue winning machine Premier League clubs have been used to coming up against.
City are on an unprecedented run of form, where they have won just one of their last 11 matches across all competitions, slumping to eight defeats during that period.
Aston Villa are just two points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s side in fifth and can overtake the reigning champions if they beat them at Villa Park.
But despite the horror run Guardiola’s side are having to endure, Emery’s opinion of the City manager has not changed.
"It’s an experience for him, but he’s the best," he insisted. "He’s still the best."
How to watch Aston Villa v Man City on TNT Sports and discovery+
Aston Villa will host Manchester City at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, December 21.
Kick-off is 12:30 UK time, with live coverage on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+. Coverage starts at 11:00.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media. To find out where your local establishments showing TNT Sports are, use our Pub Finder Tool.
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