Context: Aston Villa’s Upcoming Fixtures
Aston Villa has two major home matches coming up next week against Bayern Munich and Manchester United. However, manager Unai Emery remains firmly focused on the immediate challenge of playing Ipswich Town this Sunday (2pm). Villa has the opportunity to achieve a rare feat by securing three away wins to start the season, having already beaten West Ham and Leicester.
Unai Emery on Focusing Only on Ipswich:
Emery: “Thinking only the next match is Ipswich. I can repeat from the beginning of pre-season how important every match is because the last two years, we got the Europa Conference League after being one point difference to Brentford. Then it was two points different with Tottenham and we are playing for these points every match.”
Context: Emery’s Approach to Avoiding Complacency
Emery emphasized that maintaining focus on each match is critical to avoid missing out on points that could be decisive by the end of the season.
Emery on Avoiding Future Regrets:
Emery: “At the end of the season, we don’t want to remind ourselves of some moments where we weren’t focused for some points. Only [we are thinking about] Ipswich Town and focusing a lot. Not thinking about the next match or next week.”
Context: Emery’s Thoughts on Ipswich
Emery also spoke highly of Ipswich Town, noting their strong performances against top Premier League sides like Liverpool and Fulham.
Emery on Ipswich’s Quality:
Emery: “They are playing really well. They played well against Liverpool and Fulham. They are aggressive in high press, aggressive in duels. The goalkeeper is playing very well and we have to respect them.”
Emery on Ipswich’s Coach:
Emery: “The coach is doing amazing in his work. Tactically they are showing a very good structure.”
