Emery reflects on Aston Villa progress and European dream | OneFootball

Unai Emery has said Aston Villa must be so happy with their progress in recent seasons but insists the club have greater ambitions.

Villa face Lille in the Europa League tonight with a place in the quarter-finals at stake. The tie is goalless following the first leg in France.

Emery’s side are competing in Europe for the third straight season and face a rematch with Lille, having beaten the French side on penalties in the Conference League quarter-finals in 2023-24.

Villa are also in the Premier League’s top four, following an impressive rise under Emery’s management. Ahead of tonight’s game, the Spaniard said the club should be proud of their achievements but demanded more, targeting silverware success in Europe.

“We are playing the second leg, in the last 16 in the Europa League. And when we arrived here three years and a half ago, it was a dream. It was something in that moment, wow, so difficult to think, or to set it, like something we were achieving it, in the period time we are, so quick.

“And how we are being consistent in Premier League, being fourth, even losing the last three matches, we are fourth in the league, it was a huge dream, three years ago.

“Of course, we are being so, so demanding, and sometimes, to be demanding like we are, can become us frustrated, and can become, as well, the supporters frustrated, but I prefer it.

“And I prefer sometimes, we can feel we are not performing well, and we can get some criticism for the result we can have in some momentum, because we are setting our standards so, so high, and our objectives so, so high, but I want to be there.

“I want to be in the position we are and want to keep and to fight for the position we are now.

“But, of course, I appreciate a lot, how we are doing the way, and how we are as well being demanding in our way, and sometimes not achieving it, of course, we can become frustrated.

“But thinking overall, we must be so, so happy. And my ambition is not stopping, and of course, to be in Europe is something I appreciate so, so much, and for me, it’s very important here in Aston Villa to compete for Europe.”

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