Unai Emery interview: Aston Villa manager on the change that has team chasing Champions League qualification

Unai Emery radiates optimism right now. With seven wins from their last eight games, Aston Villa are the coming team in the Premier League’s race for Europe. Two more wins and Champions League football could be theirs again next season.

"I am really excited," Emery tells Sky Sports. Speaking at the club's training ground, he is in no mood for a break. "I do not want holidays now. I am really full of energy, motivated by how we are playing now, how we are competing." But this is not about him, he insists.

"What is interesting to me is how the supporters and the players are feeling now about where we are. We were behind Nottingham Forest and behind Chelsea, maybe eight or nine or 10 points behind them." In fact, the gap was 10 to Forest at the start of February.

"But we were progressively getting better, reducing that gap. Of course, there are games still to play and it is not enough yet." But with two left, Villa are above Forest and only out of the top five on goal difference, with Tottenham and Manchester United to come.

"I am telling the players, we have to enjoy the process, enjoy playing. It is not only about the result at the end. It is about how we are performing and how we are struggling sometimes. That is good as well because those experiences can help us in the future."

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Emery is often at pains to point out the level of competition in the Premier League. When he begins to list the rivals it extends beyond those currently above them. "I am adding Tottenham," he says. "There is West Ham. They played and won in Europe."

He continues with his list. "There is Nottingham Forest. There is Brighton, Fulham and Brentford. They are teams that are consistent, always fighting to beat you. I am here two-and-a-half years and in my time with Aston Villa, always those teams were with us."

His message is that achieving Champions League qualification in back-to-back seasons is "very, very difficult" - and yet, Villa are not only there but appear to be improving. It is not just their recent form, it is the sense of a club on the rise, a squad strengthening.

Their campaign has been complicated by a run deep into the Champions League, edged out by the odd goal in nine against Paris Saint-Germain. They went to Wembley in the FA Cup. Despite this, they have found a way to maintain their push in the Premier League.

Even when finishing fourth last season, they were flagging at the end. Villa failed to win any of their last six games. "We finished tired," concedes Emery. They were surprisingly - and convincingly - beaten by Olympiakos in the semi-final of the Conference League.

"We were the favourites. But Olympiakos performed better than us and they were more focused than us in that moment." Villa put their efforts into finishing fourth and when they were down in 10th in early March, any hope of a repeat looked to have gone.

"This year has been more difficult. During the league we were struggling sometimes, not being consistent. But I think in February and March, when we recovered some injured players and added others as well, we were getting stronger and feeling more confident."

Signings helped turn season

Those additions in the mid-season transfer window have brought fresh impetus. Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen arrived on permanent deals, while the high-profile loan signings of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi have given Emery options.

No team averages more points per game since.

Managing Malen situation

Still, it has been a test of Emery's managerial skills. Leaving Ollie Watkins out of those games against PSG did not impress the striker. Malen had to cope with the frustration of being omitted from Villa's Champions League squad, with the loan signings preferred.

"There are rules," explains Emery. "We had to take the decision in the dressing room, being responsible, being mature, trying to be honest with every player, then trying to get the best out of them." It is a testament to Emery, and to Malen himself, that he has done so.

"As a manager, you have to understand sometimes, face to face, being honest is the best way to get your response. Malen is a very good professional. He is understanding. He did not sign here for six months. He signed to be here, hopefully, for a long time.

"Malen is performing fantastic. He is playing as a substitute but wow, this season that has been very important, scoring goals, always with chances to score, always helping the team in moments when we need something special, something different."

While Emery acknowledges the conversation with Malen was a difficult one, he laughs at the thought that it is a problem. "The problem is when you don't have enough players to play," he replies. "This is the problem. We had it, this problem."

Villa have had to deal with injuries this season, being without key defenders, often at the same time. In midfield, Emery was without Boubacar Kamara until October. Amadou Onana has had hamstring issues. Ross Barkley missed three months from January.

"We played a lot of matches in a row with John McGinn and Youri Tielemans. They were getting tired at the minute 60 or 70 and sometimes we did not get our objective because we did not have enough to players to sub them for fresh legs, fresh minds, to help us.

"Now we have that. I want those problems choosing my 11 players. How we are now? I prefer it 100 per cent, by a mile. It is fantastic because I know, if I need it during the match, to change some position, I have players on the bench to make an impact."

Why squad depth was key

Villa actually lost their most impactful substitute of them all in Jhon Duran when he made the move to Saudi Arabia in the winter. The Colombian striker scored what proved to be the winning goal in three of Villa's first four Premier League games of the season.

But it is more of an all-round effort now, Emery able to rotate to bring more energy to Villa's performances. At Brighton, Asensio and Malen both came off the bench to score. At Southampton, all three of Villa's scorers in that game were second-half substitutes.

"It is a good example now that I can use with the players when I am speaking to them in the dressing room about how we were 10 months ago, six months ago, two months ago, compared to how we are now. They understand how important it is, they respect it.

"In this moment, everybody is ready to play 90 minutes or 20 minutes. Because we won a lot of matches with the players coming on as substitute for 20 minutes. A lot of matches. I can remind the players how many times we did it during the season."

During the course of our conversation, Emery makes the point that throughout his career, whenever he has had proper depth - two players for every position, tactical flexibility - he has been able to achieve his ambitions. Perhaps that is why he is so confident.

"I have enough players now. John McGinn and Youri Tielemans are both versatile players. They played a lot of matches together but sometimes I could choose another player, like Amadou Onana or Boubacar Kamara, and they would play higher.

"But then there are players like Marco Asensio, like Jacob Ramsey too." He discusses the different weapons that Tielemans and Barkley bring to the same position, one with their passing, the other with their ball carrying. "Yes, we have enough players now."

Finishing the job now

Exciting times, then, and an opportunity for Villa to take the next step by showing their dalliance with the Champions League was no fleeting one. "We are progressing, playing two years in Europe. But to be consistent is my main challenge here," he says.

That means delivering in the Premier League. "The most important thing for us and for me, and how we can really progress, is by being consistent through the Premier League over 38 games, getting the points needed to always be in the European positions.

"We are trying to have a clear identity, trying to connect with our supporters how we are playing, with our style, our intensity, our skills. This is very important because I think we need to achieve the heart of the supporters to get the energy that we need."

He touches on the reputational impact of achieving regular Champions League football. "The brand is increasing." Thanks to their late-season push, it is within reach once more. It is increasingly obvious that Emery believes. "Hopefully, we can get it again."

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