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'Fighter team', top eight and Villa pressure - Every word Unai Emery said in Club Brugge press conference

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Unai Emery sat down with the media at the Jan Breydel Stadium ahead of Aston Villa's fourth Champions League league phase clash against Club Brugge.

Villa have won all three of their Champions League matches so far, but lost 4-1 to Tottenham in the Premier League last time out. Here is every word Emery said in his post-match press conference...

You've lost two of your last three games, but can you take confidence from your performance against Bournemouth and the first 70 minutes against Tottenham?

"Of course we are going to try and separate different competitions. The last two matches in two different competitions we lost, in the Carabao Cup and lost against to Spurs on Sunday and drew against Bournemouth at home. We are trying to separate different competitions by focusing each moment on how we are.

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"We’re building the team and trying to create a strong structure in some issues like to be tactically understanding and be focused for 90 minutes, mentally and even emotionally. This is a process we are building. Tomorrow is completely different after Premier League and Carabao Cup games, you can win or lose but tomorrow, it is totally different.

"Our first match against Young Boys, we were excited, 100 per cent focused and using our power we played the second match with the same circumstances after a long time not playing Champions League at Villa Park and even more excited because it was Bayern Munich and we did a fantastic job because we focused 100 per cent.

"The third one we played Bologna at home and we were motivated and we did it. Tomorrow we have the opportunity to get one step ahead in this competition to be contender in top eight. If we’re not 100 per cent focused like we did before in Champions League, it will be difficult. We played last year with our own experiences in Europe and teams playing at home with their supporters in Europe playing against teams from England.

"We have to be ready to stop them [Brugge] and be ready to play in this competition. Tomorrow is a very good opportunity to try to come back again with our successful way in this competition but being organised, being consistent and get points."

Do you feel pressure because your are favourites to win?

"We are not feeling pressure. Tomorrow we are speaking about how teams are favourite in different competitions, we accept it and try and be there. We can feel and say we are favourite, not to win tomorrow, we are favourite to be in front of them at the end of the Champions League tomorrow playing away and with the supporters.

"They need the points to keep get to the next round they will need to win. We’re playing in a good level but if we’re not it won’t be a very easy match. We’re respecting them, they have advantage because they have more experience in Europe than us. These are the respect and difficulties that I know."

You have a great opportunity to finish in the top eight with a win...

"Tomorrow we are aware about the possibility to get the fourth victory and 12 points and the expectation to be in the top eight is maybe 16 or 17 points. They will be there, the best teams in Europe. We are getting there, we’re not contenders to be in the top eight.

"Some teams will be favourite and they’ll be out and to play against the teams playing in the top eight. We are creating with new players and some players coming back after injury, most important is to be competitive and get as many points as we can. My main objective is to build a team, I’m building a team like I did strongly last year. We’re being consistent. It’s difficult to get for the next month being contender to get our objective in different competition. "

How decisive is this month coming up?

"We are demanding and increasing our standards. We want to be consistent on the field. We are not favourite or contenders like other top seven teams in the Premier League and here in Europe there are other favourites to finish ahead of us.

'We’re being competitive from when I arrived here until today more or less in the high level. In the Premier League we’re having to be in the top five until I started here two years ago with the club. The average is that we are in the top five.

"To keep that is the most important thing to keep it and create with the players. We need to build a strong structure in the club and with our players. The mentality, tactically as well we have to work more than other teams.

"Maybe other teams have different ways to be favourites ahead of us. We want to be a fighter team, working hard and mentally and tactically, even emotionally, trying to be more intelligent than some teams."

Do you think it is a surprise that Villa were top of the table after three matchweeks?

"We are in the top eight, it’s not a big surprise but it’s a surprise. At the beginning we weren’t favourite to be in the top eight. Maybe now we wont three matches it’s easier for us. If we analyse the table and remembering the teams that are there at the beginning of the season and where they are.

"After first three matches we won and even when we beat Bayern Munich at home we were talking about our objective and motivation to beat Bayern Munich to play in the Champions League and at Villa Park another one was to win today to be contender to be in top eight.

"After we won against Bologna it’s a new challenge, if we win then we can clearly be a contender for the top eight but tomorrow will be very difficult. We are having our own experiences here in Europe last year I usually want to remember in our way here last year."

How is Matty Cash?

"They aren’t with us Matty Cash and Ross Barkley, they both have small injuries."

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