Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is not prepared to risk his reputation by allowing his side not to be fully focused on Saturday’s trip to relegated Southampton.
Villa’s trip to St Mary’s is sandwiched in between the Champions League quarter-final with Paris St-Germain, with Emery’s side needing to overturn a 3-1 first-leg deficit in Tuesday’s second leg.
Southampton’s instant return to the Championship was confirmed last week, but Emery says Saturday’s Premier League clash is their most important game.
Unai's press conference from this afternoon is now available on VillaTV 📺
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 11, 2025
“If we are not performing well tomorrow, we are at risk,” he said at a press conference.
“My message here, my message for the supporters, for our objective and with my responsibility to set the objective clearly, tomorrow is the most important match we are playing now.
“I am here because I was successful. If I was not being successful in my career as a coach and demanding like I was, I am not here.
“They chose me, the owners, because I was as a coach more or less in my career, always getting my objectives through the clubs.
“Coming here is because they wanted to try to get the same, to be ambitious, to work hard, to increase our demands, to increase our objective during the process we are.
“If I am not getting it (being demanding), I am going to lose my reputation, I am going to lose my position as a coach in football and maybe I will (get the) sack again.”
Villa have won their last three matches to climb back into the race for Champions League qualification and victory against the Saints would move them into the top five, which guarantees entry into the competition.
Emery added: “We have to win tomorrow. If we weren’t winning three matches before in Premier League… maybe we were not with the opportunity to achieve again, options, opportunity to be in the European positions, because our objective is Europe.
“Of course, we are dreaming to repeat Champions League, and our highest ambition we are setting is to play in Champions League, but we are not contenders. But last year, we weren’t contenders, and we got it.
“Now, we are there because we are performing in the last matches and the last demands we are trying to set collectively and individually is clear.”
Villa welcome back Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen after they were ineligible for the Champions League trip to Palace.
Leon Bailey faces a late fitness test, but Emery has no other injury issues.
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