Emery quizzed ahead of Liverpool

Unai Emery was in front of the cameras on Friday afternoon for his pre-match press conference.

The Aston Villa manager was questioned on a number of topics ahead of taking his team to play Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League.

Here’s what he had to say…

On recent results…

“We are increasing our level and demanding more, progressively, until now to try and keep being consistent in the top positions. There are another seven teams that we have to be more intelligent than and more competitive.

“After last year, we were a surprise when we were getting the fourth position. This year, we lost last week against Tottenham and for them it was a very special moment against us because they knew we were in front of them.

“We are a competitive team to be in the top seven, top five, top four. They were celebrating the three points last week like they deserved.

“Tomorrow we are going to play against Liverpool and in two years we are competing well against them, but they are always in front of us. The idea is to see how our level is compared to them and see our capacity to face them.”

On preparations for the match at Anfield…

“If we want to play in the Champions League or in Europe, if we want to be contenders for a trophy, we have to play three matches a week.

“If we are not able to play, focusing mentally and physically in this direction, we’re not going to get our objective.

“We’re training this afternoon and we’re going to prepare the match with the players and they’re going to be ready to play, mentally and physically.

“Hopefully on the field we can show our capacity to face them, competing and with the possibility to get points.”

On Arne Slot’s Liverpool…

“We are analysing them and how they are playing, and they are playing really, really well. Their style and their idea in some tactical things has maybe changed, but they are playing with the same players, they are playing very well and their idea is clear.

“This is the same power they had before with their structure tactically. Offensively they’re a really strong team. Collectively they are in their way and individually as well.

“Tomorrow is a really huge challenge for us to stop them, to play with personality. We are analysing and building the team but of course we have to compete if we want to get the level we had last year.

“We are more or less keeping it but we have to be stronger in some circumstances, in everything: tactically, mentally, emotionally. We are building the team with different players and building our structure. We are in this process.”

On the high level of the Premier League…

“The Premier League is the most difficult league in the world because we have the best teams historically and in this moment.

“We have the better coaches, the better players and a lot of young coaches are progressively arriving with fresh ideas, tactically. Football is going so quick and we have to adapt, we have to learn and we have to better today than yesterday.

“The only way to get it is to be very demanding, trying to improve and understand how football is now. This is my challenge as a coach: try to always be in front in everything, competing with the better players, the better coaches and the better competition.”