Fixtures
- Aston Villa Vs. Nottingham Forest – Sat, Feb 24th 2024, 15:00
Nottingham Forest’s visit to Villa Park was on the agenda for Unai Emery as he gave his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Aston Villa’s head coach discussed a range of topics as he addressed the assembled media at Bodymoor Heath.
Here’s what he had to say…
On the Europa Conference League draw…
“We are excited to play in Europe. We are going to face Ajax in Amsterdam; a historic club, a very successful club.
“I think we can enjoy playing against Ajax there and here in Villa Park, feeling good and creating a good atmosphere here with our supporters and our way in the Conference League.
“Ajax are progressing very well in their league. We played against AZ Alkmaar before and, more or less, it’s the same travel and the same style and idea because Netherlands teams have a similar idea of playing football.
“We’ll wait for this match. We are now focused on the Premier League.”
On playing Nottingham Forest…
“I respect them a lot – their coach and players. They were very, very competitive before when we played there (The City Ground) and they won.
“They are still being very, very competitive, with fresh energy from the new coach. He’s an experienced coach and tactically very good.
“They are playing trying to have a strong defensive structure and with very good transition with their wingers, with Morgan Gibbs-White and their striker.
“They are trying to improve, keeping ball possession and control the game, playing combinations. Tomorrow will be very, very difficult. My respect is for the players, the coach and for their strong tactical structure.
“They are very intense and confident after they won last week against West Ham. We are ready to play tomorrow and very excited to be playing again with our supporters in Villa Park.”
On how he expects the game to unfold…
“I think they are going to play here like they have been. They are playing with a good press, a high press, a medium block, and they are being successful.
“They are a very difficult team to break their press. If we are imposing and demanding more, maybe they can go into a low block. I think they are going to play like they are, keeping ball possession and trying to connect quickly with Gibbs-White, Taiwo Awoniyi and their two wingers.
“They can take time with some players in the middle, with Dominguez, Danilo and, if he plays, Sangare. They have players to play in different tactical moments in 90 minutes.
“We are going to be ready to try to impose our game plan, to impose our positioning and to impose our moments.”
On opposite number Nuno Espírito Santo…
“I analysed their tactical idea and their structure with their players that they are now playing. I respect him a lot because before when I was here in the Premier League we played against Wolverhampton and they were really tough matches.
“Tactically they were strong and defensively they were always intense with very good transition. Now I think Nuno is playing the same structure, more or less, but they are trying to play feeling comfortable with ball possession, trying to keep good position on the pitch.
“They have very good, skilled players and they are playing feeling comfortable in different tactical ideas they are trying. It’s not only their defence, they have very good players offensively; they have very good transition; they have a No.10 in Gibbs-White who’s very important for them when they are connecting with him. He sets the tempo, makes good passes ahead, he’s very intelligent and it’s not easy to stop him.
“They have two very good wingers on the right and left and it’s very important, man-to-man, to stop them. I think they are a very good team, a very competitive team and I think Nuno is giving them another step ahead with his ideas.”
