Aston Villa is daring to dream of European silverware, even if Premier League title aspirations are on hold! After a hard-fought victory against Fenerbahce, securing their place in the Europa League's last 16, manager Unai Emery has his sights set firmly on lifting the trophy. This pursuit of European glory comes as Emery candidly admits the team isn't yet in the 'top-five contenders' bracket for the Premier League, a sentiment he reiterated after their recent home loss to Everton.
But here's where it gets interesting: for Aston Villa, winning the Europa League might just be their golden ticket to Champions League football next season. If they don't secure a top-four finish (or potentially a top-five spot if England earns an extra berth), this European campaign becomes their primary pathway to the elite club competition.
For those unfamiliar with Emery's pedigree, he's a veritable legend in the Europa League, having won it a record four times as a manager, most recently with Villarreal in 2021. Thursday's match marked his 100th appearance in the competition, a testament to his enduring success. "We have clear objectives in this competition to be a contender for a trophy," Emery stated, emphasizing the importance of this cup, especially if league qualification proves too challenging. "I am dreaming to be here getting trophies and the Europa is one objective we have this year."
It's worth noting that despite Aston Villa's rich history as the seventh-most successful club in English football by trophies, their last major silverware was the League Cup back in 1996. This makes Emery's pursuit of a European trophy even more significant for the club's modern legacy.
Aston Villa is currently on an incredible run of form, winning 20 out of their last 25 matches (with only 1 draw and 4 losses). In fact, only Arsenal (with 21 wins) has achieved more victories among teams in Europe's top-five leagues during this period. Their recent stumble against Everton prevented them from climbing to second place in the Premier League, just four points behind leaders Arsenal – Emery's former club.
In their Europa League clash with Fenerbahce, Emery strategically made six changes to the squad, yet the team dominated, with the 1-0 scoreline perhaps not fully reflecting their superiority over the 28-time Turkish champions. Emery was particularly pleased with his players' "respect" for the competition and their strong response.
And this is the part most people miss: the match-winner, Jadon Sancho, finally broke his duck for Aston Villa, scoring his first goal for the club in his 19th appearance since joining on loan from Manchester United in September. The 25-year-old forward, who hasn't featured for United since August 2024 and whose contract there expires this summer, expressed his gratitude for Emery's backing. "It's nice to have a manager that backs you and obviously believes in you," Sancho shared. "He [Emery] just keeps on telling me to be positive every time I play. Every opportunity I get I'm going to try and do 100% and hopefully I can deliver goals."
Interestingly, while Sancho has only started two Premier League games this season, he's been a consistent starter in the Europa League, featuring in all of Villa's last five matches in the competition. By securing a top-eight league-phase finish, Villa has successfully avoided a demanding two-legged play-off round in February.
Emery's commitment to the competition is evident, as he played key players like striker Ollie Watkins for the full 90 minutes and influential midfielder Morgan Rogers for 74 minutes. Furthermore, defender Tyrone Mings made his first start since November after recovering from a thigh injury, and midfielder Amadou Onana also returned from a hamstring issue with a late cameo. "We are building the team with some circumstances not helping us," Emery admitted, looking ahead to the transfer window. "But next week we can finish the transfer window and hopefully we can get everything we need to complete the squad for the next months and the competitions we have."
What do you think? Is Unai Emery's focus on the Europa League a smart strategy for Aston Villa, or should they be prioritizing a top-four Premier League finish above all else? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
