Unai Emery marked his second anniversary at Villa Park and expressed his strong desire for Aston Villa to maintain their Champions League status. The Spaniard has made it clear to his players that reaching the prestigious competition just once is not sufficient, pushing for greater success in the Premier League to secure their place.
Emery's tenure has sparked a remarkable transformation at Villa. When Steve Gerrard departed, Aston Villa was embroiled in a battle to avoid relegation, but under Emery's guidance, the club surged to a stunning fourth-placed finish last season. A victory over Bologna tonight could see them needing just one more win in their group matches to advance to the knockout stage, as reported by The Mirror.
“I want to be in it for a long time - and it is difficult,” Emery remarked. “Sometimes you can have problems but we need some resilience. To be strong and break down those barriers. And hopefully, we will play Bologna, showing we can compete.”
Defender Matty Cash is anticipated to make his Champions League debut tonight, having missed the opening two wins against Young Boys and Bayern Munich. Cash, who joined Aston Villa four years ago, reflected on the club’s progression under Emery, stating, “I probably didn’t expect to be here, if I’m honest. Since I joined, in terms of quality, the club has gone through the roof. Every department has improved.”
Cash noted the squad's depth and the importance of consistency in the league to achieve their targets. “The key has been consistency in the league. We weren’t with the last few managers - that’s no disrespect - but now the demands on you to perform and win are huge,” he said. “We want to keep winning and performing. We need to get to fourth position again at least - then when we are here we can enjoy it, play with freedom and express ourselves.”
Aston Villa continues to build momentum as they aim for sustained success in the Premier League and beyond this season.