Unai Emery Focused on Consistency as Aston Villa Prepares for Tough Manchester United Clash

Villa secured a 1-0 win against Bayern on Wednesday, continuing their impressive form with six wins and a draw in their last seven matches across all competitions. However, Emery noted that Manchester United, who have beaten Villa in their last four meetings, will still pose a tough challenge at Villa Park. United currently sit 13th in the league under Erik ten Hag.

“They are a winning team with an experienced coach and players. The club is traditionally a winning club. They even won the FA Cup in 2023,” Emery said in a press conference on Friday. “Their Premier League results haven’t been consistent, but they are capable of delivering a huge performance in any given match. I respect them, and I will prepare for this match even more than I did for the Bayern Munich game.”

Villa, who are competing in the Champions League for the first time in 41 years, face the challenge of balancing European competition with maintaining Premier League consistency. Despite their current fifth-place position with 13 points, Emery said his main focus is securing consistency in domestic play.

“We are not favorites to finish in the top seven of the Premier League, but we want to be contenders. This process started with the results we’ve achieved over the last two years. Now we are in the Champions League, but staying consistent in the Premier League is our main objective,” Emery explained.

He added, “There are many examples of how difficult it is to stay competitive and consistent in Europe. Our path to Europe is through the Premier League, so consistency there is key.”

Emery also revealed that midfielder Jacob Ramsey and winger Leon Bailey are fitness doubts ahead of Sunday’s game, and their conditions will be assessed closer to the match.