Emery previews Southampton visit

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Fixtures

  • Aston Villa Vs. Southampton – Sat, Dec 7th 2024, 15:00

Unai Emery met with the media at Bodymoor Heath on Friday afternoon, to preview Aston Villa’s Premier League visit of Southampton. 

The Saints visit Villa Park on Saturday, with action set to get underway at 3pm, Emery’s men looking for back-to-back victories after returning to winning ways against Brentford in midweek. 

Emery looked ahead to the encounter with the local and national media. Read the best bits from his pre-match press conference below…

On Brentford victory…

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“For everybody. For the supporters, for the players, for the team, with the work we have, the coaches and everybody, it was very important.

“We are focusing on the Premier League, the most important competition, and of course to be consistent there is our challenge.

“We needed to win, and how we did, because I think we played against a team [who were] very competitive, very difficult always.

“We were 90 minutes being consistent in this game, and now is to be consistent playing matches.

“Tomorrow, trying to repeat again, more or less the same collective form we showed on Wednesday, is the challenge tomorrow.”

On John McGinn…

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“He is a very important player for us. And when he is not fit, he started the season a little bit lower than normal, we were struggling a bit.

“He is a personality player, and he is very consistent. He is important, and the challenge is to keep this consistency.

“His personality is very, very important. The characteristics he has are very important.”

On Southampton…

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“I appreciate a lot some teams, some young coaches, how they are being brave, playing, showing different ways tactically.

“One of them is Russell Martin. For us, it’s a challenge, how we can compete against this team, more or less at the beginning, knowing their capacity to keep the ball possession is one of the best in the Premier League.

“I know with my experiences, if we are not being organised in our press, we can struggle, playing against a team like Southampton.

“I appreciate a lot how they are playing. It is an example, how they are building up and how they are being successful.

“Last year they played a fantastic season in the Championship, and now they are extending the same idea in the Premier League.

“They are not getting points like they deserve, because they have not a lot of points, but they deserve more, how they are playing, but they are being very, very brave with the ball.

“I really appreciate them a lot and respect a lot, Russell Martin, the players they have, and their structure tactically.”

On consistency with team selection…

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“It has been impossible at the moment, because there are players playing a lot of matches, and they are coming with some injuries, some small pains, getting tired, but for me it’s not the most important [thing] to try to be consistent with the starting 11 players.

“I want players knowing tactically and performing tactically and individually, with their quality, always getting the level we want.

“I have to use two players for each position, trying to compete and trying to be ready to play.”

On Tyrone Mings…

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“Tyrone Mings, the most important of him, is his personality, his capacity as a player, a left centre-back, strong, he dominates to play under pressure in the Premier League.

“He didn’t [start] this season until Wednesday in the Premier League, but he played in the Champions League.

“In the dressing room as well, he is a very important player. He is one of our captains, and I appreciate him as a person, and one of our captains.”

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