Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery has spoken out about his side and how he isn’t looking too far ahead with Middlesbrough and Everton in his sights.
It has been nothing short of a great calendar year for Aston Villa in 2023, ending it in the top three of the Premier League.
Under the management of Unai Emery, the Villans have gone from relegation battles to Champions League challengers.
With the most recent win over Burnley, Villa moved into second in the league to sit level with Liverpool in top spot. This is a testament to the Spaniard and the job that he has done in his spell in B6 so far.
In saying that, the Villa boss isn’t getting carried away with the form of his side so far this season. Despite sitting so high in the league, Emery has made his thoughts clear on the coming year.
What has Unai Emery said?
It has been a topic of conversation for many weeks whether Villa are in a title or Champions League race. These questions have been levelled at Leon Bailey this week but he refused to comment.
With FA Cup and Europa Conference League commitments being added to the Premier League, there will be no guarantees.
Discussing his ambitions for the season, Emery spoke to the Daily Mail and tempered any high expectations for his side.
On that, he said: “We have good players and if we work hard we can achieve the dreams and objectives we set ourselves. The idea is always to improve. We’ve had a really fantastic year but I’m very excited for our next match, against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, and our next league match against Everton.
“When I arrived [at Villa] it was all about getting better and breaking into the top 10. We are not contenders to finish in the top four, but if we are still there after 30 or 32 games, that will be our opportunity to get in.”
It has to be said that Emery isn’t taking anything for granted and knows things could all change in no time. On the flip side, if someone like Pep Guardiola believes you are a title contender then you must be good.
Aston Villa fans are likely to remain confident of a great finish this campaign especially given where they will end the year.
Who knows whether a title race dream will continue but a spot in next seasons Champions League is certainly possible.
