Fixtures
- Aston Villa Vs. Chelsea – Sat, Apr 27th 2024, 20:00
Unai Emery spoke to media at Bodymoor Heath on Friday afternoon as he previewed this weekend’s encounter against Chelsea.
Aston Villa’s head coach held his pre-match press conference at Bodymoor Heath to discuss his contract extension, Villa’s top-four ambitions, Saturday’s test against Chelsea, the latest team news and more.
Here’s what he had to say…
On team news…
“Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendía, Jacob Ramsey and Boubacar Kamara, they aren’t available for tomorrow.
“Álex Moreno and Nicolò Zaniolo, they aren’t available tomorrow.
“The other players, I think they’re going to be available.”
On his contract extension…
“I’m happy here, I’m happy.
“I’m very motivated, when I arrived here one-and-a-half years ago, of course, our expectation progressively is getting better. But there’s still a lot of work to do.
“In my contract I signed for three-and-a-half years, but I had a clause and the club activated this clause for one year more.
“I agreed and I’m happy, of course.”
On the chance to finish in the top four…
“Amazing motivation we have in front (of us).
“But realistic as well because I think we deserve to be contenders now to get it.
“Five months ago, four months ago, three months ago, even one month ago, you were asking the same – ‘if we were contenders to be in the top seven teams or in the Champions League?’
“I was always saying the same message, ‘we weren’t’.
“But, of course, getting to match 32, 33, 34, like we are now, if we are in the table with the possibility like we have now, we have to try and get it.
“We were excited as well with the possibility that fifth position could be Champions League but we lost it.
“Now we are contenders to be, but we have to fight with another opponent like Tottenham and it’s going to be very, very difficult.
“The objective we have now in front is a very good step ahead we can make.
“We are now as well in the Europa Conference League and this is another important step ahead we did.
“I’m very proud of the work we did but now we are adding another objective, trying to get a Champions League position.”
On Chelsea…
“When we started the season, Chelsea were favourites to be in the top four.
“I can understand a little bit, they have very young players, very good players. They need, as well, experiences like they are getting.
“My expectation of them is, when I analyse and watch Chelsea 6-0 Everton. It was two weeks ago, with the same players they are going to play tomorrow against us. It’s amazing.
“Of course, they lost the last match away against Arsenal but I can understand because Arsenal is very difficult.
“Even Chelsea was playing well until the second or third goal and they were always in with the possibility of getting something against them.
“If I can analyse and speak with the players, the match they played against Manchester City last week in the semi-final of the FA Cup, as well they played amazing.
“They were really deserving to win.
“This is the Chelsea I expect tomorrow against us.”
