Unai Emery claims the Premier League’s level has damaged English clubs’ European ambitions… as lone survivors Aston Villa bid for Europa Conference League glory

Unai Emery believes English clubs’ European chances are damaged by the level of the Premier League with Aston Villa left as the last team standing this season.

Villa face Olympiacos in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League after they were the only English club to make it past the quarter-finals. Manchester City and Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League with Liverpool and West Ham falling short in the Europa League.

Emery said: ‘We are the only English team left and it’s difficult as our league is the toughest in the world.

‘We must be focused 100 per cent in preparation for every game if we want to be successful in our league and to combine it with Europe is difficult challenge.

‘But I don’t understand how you can decide not to approach European football properly. The most successful teams in the world are my points of reference so we are very motivated with both the league and Europe.

Unai Emery believes the challenge of the Premier League has harmed English teams in Europe

Aston Villa are the sole English club remaining in European competition this season

Aston Villa face Olympiacos in the Europa Conference League after beating Lille on penalties

‘To be at the stage we are now is maybe the best we could have hoped for at the start of the season. But then as we have done better through the year, what we have achieved is not as a surprise.

‘To keep it going for a long time is difficult. We are now contenders to finish fourth in the Premier League and to reach the final of the Europa Conference League. Our idea is to keep progressing.

‘Our first objective all season has been to finish as high as we can in the Premier League but we have never refused to treat the Conference League properly.’