The new Premier League season is about to begin, and Aston Villa’s manager, Emery, during the pre-match press conference ahead of the first round against West Ham, stated that Villa will strive to remain competitive in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup. However, Emery admitted that there are seven teams in the Premier League stronger than Villa.
Regarding the new season, Emery is extremely excited, “We will participate in the Champions League, which is full of motivation for the team, after all, the Champions League is the best competition in the world. We will endeavor to become competitive, and we are equally very much looking forward to the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup.”
However, Emery candidly stated that it’s unlikely for Villa to achieve a top-four finish as they did last season, “Last season we secured the fourth place in the Premier League, but in the new season, we are not strong contenders for the top four, even getting fifth place would be a stretch. There are seven teams more competitive than us, but we must face the competition.”
Subsequently, Emery named the seven teams he believes are more competitive than Villa, including Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle United.
Speaking about specific goals in the Champions League, Emery said, “Three years ago, I reached the semi-finals of the Champions League with Villarreal, now I aim to challenge the same feat with Villa. I don’t know if we can reach the quarter-finals or semi-finals, but we must show competitiveness. In every match, we will face the best teams in the world, and the players need to raise their standards.”
For the core player Morgan Rogers, Emery hopes he can maintain his performance from last season, “He helped us secure qualification for the Champions League, he needs to keep improving, and I hope he can sustain high-level performance for a long time. He is a great role model for the team, of course, he needs to maintain an excellent mindset.”
In the first round of the Premier League, Villa will face West Ham. Speaking about this opponent, Emery did not hold back on praise, “Although they do not have European qualifications this season, their goal is the same as ours were last season, which is to break into the top seven. The new season is about to start, and we are all very excited and motivated. Moreover, the Premier League is the most challenging league in the world, and after the top seven teams, teams like West Ham, Everton, Fulham, Bournemouth, and Brighton can all bring surprises.”