Aston Villa are the last English club standing in Europe this season which is a testament to the work of Unai Emery, who has recently shared his view on the difficulty of balancing the Premier League with European involvement.
It’s been a remarkable campaign for Aston Villa, who with four Premier League games remaining, are in touching distance of securing Champions League football for next season.
As well as battling high up the table domestically, Unai Emery’s side is hoping to end the 2023/24 calendar with European silverware as Villa reached the final four of the Europa Conference League.
The Villans are the only English side remaining in European competition this year, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle, Brighton and West Ham all suffering elimination in the Champions League and Europa League.
While it’s a statement for Villa to be the last club standing and still fighting for a fourth-place finish, Emery has shared his verdict on juggling the difficulties that come with balancing the Premier League schedule and competing in Europe.
Unai Emery shares opinion on balancing the Premier League and European competitions
In a recent interview with beIN SPORTS Asia, the Spaniard opened up about life at Villa after signing his new contract.
During the interview, the former Arsenal boss was quizzed about the Europa Conference League and was asked if he thinks it is a ‘surprise’ to see Villa as the only English side still competing.
“It’s a surprise because the English teams are contenders to win in Europe.
“I think the most difficult competition to mix with Europe is the Premier League. Every match is strong, tough, every team has good players, good coaches, good tactics, it’s very difficult to be competitive and to be the winner in the Premier League and then in Europe.
“I think more or less something like that is the consequence of why we are the only English team in Europe.”
Unai Emery’s comments on the Premier League and European schedule ring true
For Emery to have fired Villa to the semi-finals of the Conference League and maintain their spot above Spurs is impressive, considering the difference in schedule between the two sides.
READ MORE: The advantage Tottenham have had over Aston Villa this season
The manager’s comments on the difficulty of balancing the Thursday-Sunday schedule ring true, with figures showcasing exactly how many games Premier League clubs are having to play this season and how little time they have to prepare for such fixtures.
Numbers provided by Opta portray the challenges that clubs in the English top flight face, with the teams in Europe having little time between games to manage sufficiently, adding pressure to managers and squads.
The Villa boss also shifted focus to the intensity of the Premier League, with every team having the ability to usurp the other on a matchday, making it difficult to really rotate unless one competition is compromised.
It only makes Villa’s achievements this season more admirable, considering the lack of depth that Emery has had to work with due to a host of injury concerns, the Spaniard certainly deserves his flowers.
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