Unai Emery: Tougher tests ahead for Aston Villa
Unai Emery warned the toughest tests are yet to come for soaring Villa after Sunday’s win over Luton kept them up with the Premier League pacesetters.
The 3-1 victory over the Hatters was Villa’s seventh in 10 Premier League matches and they remain fifth in the table, now five points clear of sixth-placed Newcastle.
But despite his team having now taken 71 points from his 35 matches in charge, Emery is remaining cautious and believes there is still more work to do before they can be termed genuine challengers for Champions League football.
Villa’s two defeats this season have come against Newcastle and Liverpool by an aggregate score of 8-1 and Emery said: “They were better than us on those days. That is the reality when we play the top teams.
“We’re going to face those type of matches during the season and maybe when we play Newcastle ad Liverpool at home, we can change the results we have had.
“Hopefully we can reduce the distance between us and them.
“When we lost against Newcastle and Liverpool I told the players that I want to reduce the distance between us and them in those matches when we play them at home. In those matches, we will show whether it’s possible or not.”
Sunday’s win was Villa’s 12th in a row at home in the league and they now have a rare empty midweek before visiting Nottingham Forest next Sunday.
Emery continued: “We are winning games because we are very focused. We are very demanding defensively in our structure, we’re trying to be a team that shows high commitment between team-mates.
“But there are another seven teams (challenging) and they are ready – they show the power, not only now.
“The energy they have is to be in those top seven teams.
“But if we are working like that – being strong and demanding and improving, being committed and always trying to get our best level, then of course we can progress and keep the momentum we have now in the table.
“But Chelsea, Manchester United, even Brighton and West Ham are contenders to try to get a European position like us.”
"We won, I am very happy, but I think there’s still things that we can improve."
Emery confirmed striker Jhon Duran had missed the match due to a toe infection.
