Unai Emery will clock up his 1000th game in charge against Lille and Aston Villa boss will need to use all his guile to steer his stuttering side in pursuit of Champions League rewards

Unai Emery on Thursday clocks up 1,000 games as a manager but he will need all his qualities to ensure he is celebrating after the 1,010th.

Emery’s work in elevating Aston Villa to Champions League contenders, while battling to win a first European crown for 42 years, has been outstanding. 

If they get the better of Lille at Villa Park and avoid defeat in France next week, Emery will be three games from lifting the Europa Conference League trophy – potentially his fifth continental title.

Yet in recent weeks, Villa have shown signs of running out of steam.

Last Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Brentford at Villa Park allowed Tottenham to jump above them into fourth place and both will be hoping desperately that five clubs – rather than the usual four – qualify for the Champions League next term.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery will take charge of his 1,000th game on Thursday night

The Spaniard has the chance to lift his fifth European trophy with Aston Villa this season

Striker Ollie Watkins scored a late equaliser as Aston Villa drew 3-3 with Brentford on Saturday

Throughout the campaign, Villa have coped admirably with injuries to key players, with Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia missing for virtually the entire season, and Jacob Ramsey, Alex Moreno, Pau Torres and Boubacar Kamara for significant parts of it.

But their squad lacks the depth of Tottenham’s and in order to address that, Villa must qualify for Europe’s main club competition. 

The club are likely to have to sell at least one key player this summer to ensure they stick to Premier League spending rules and if they have only Europa League funds to rely on, an ambitious transfer window seems unlikely.

‘These games will be very important for us this and next season,’ said Torres, who was signed from Villarreal last summer and has adapted superbly. 

‘We have many players who played before in Europe, and Unai knows these competitions.

‘We are doing really well we are improving the results of last season and now we are in the most important stage of the season.’

The schedule is punishing, though. As they try to keep pace with Spurs, Villa must take something from title-chasing Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday – one of the most difficult tasks in European football today.

Emery added: ‘We want to be competitive and successful. We are excited and we wanted the opportunity that we have in front of us.’