Unai Emery – Football Flame

Unai Emery Makes Bold Claim for Second Leg After Aston Villa’s Loss to PSG

10Apr

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

Champions League

Unai Emery Makes Bold Claim for Second Leg After Aston Villa’s Loss to PSG

PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 09: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa high fives Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, as he is substituted on during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Quarter Final First Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa FC at Parc des Princes on April 09, 2025 in Paris, France. Paris Saint-Germain earned a 3-1 win over Aston Villa in the first leg at Parc des Princes on Wednesday, coming from behind after a 1-0 deficit with three unanswered goals. While PSG showed their quality, could manager Unai Emery be partly to blame for the situation that allowed the Parisians to stage a comeback? After Aston Villa took the lead, Desire Doue quickly equalized, sending the teams into halftime at 1-1. Doue’s goal seemed to set the tone for the second half. Early on, Khvicha Kva...

Emery relishing PSG tie but wants European consistency

9Apr

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

Champions League

Emery relishing PSG tie but wants European consistency

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - APRIL 2: Aston Villa Manager Unai Emery during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Aston Villa FC at Amex Stadium on April 2, 2025 in Brighton, England. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says the Champions League quarter-final against his former club Paris Saint-Germain will be "special and spectacular," but he is focused on leading his side to consistent success at Europe's top level. Emery will return to Paris for Wednesday's first leg having managed the newly crowned Ligue 1 champions from 2016 to 2018, leading them to a league title in the 2017-18 season. The Spaniard, who took charge of Villa in 2022, guided the Birmingham side to their first appearance in Europe's elite club competition in over four decades and now hopes to extend thei...

Unai Emery: Premier League remains priority for Aston Villa

7Mar

By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Unai Emery: Premier League remains priority for Aston Villa

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 25: Aston Villa's manager Unai Emery arriving at the stadium during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Aston Villa FC at Selhurst Park on February 25, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Andrew Kearns - CameraSport via Getty Images) Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says the Premier League remains his side’s priority this season.Villa put one foot into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 3-1 first-leg win against Club Brugge on Tuesday and they meet Championship side Preston in the last eight of the FA Cup at the end of the month. Their league form has been highly inconsistent, yet they remain on the coattails of the clubs chasing a top-five finish, which looks certain to bring Champions League qualification. And Emery insists ...

Emery says Villa ‘not contenders’ to win FA Cup

27Feb

By Silver Emmanuel3 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Emery says Villa ‘not contenders’ to win FA Cup

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 25: Aston Villa's manager Unai Emery arriving at the stadium during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Aston Villa FC at Selhurst Park on February 25, 2025 in London, England. Manager Unai Emery says Aston Villa are "not a contender" to win the FA Cup this season. Villa host Championship strugglers Cardiff City on Friday for a place in the quarter-finals. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have already been knocked out and Villa beat Premier League rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the previous two rounds. But Emery said: "We are not a contender in the FA Cup to win the title, but to try to compete in the competition and have a way to a trophy - and Europe is very important, and prestigious. "Every club, players and coaches like...

Unai Emery relishing challenge of getting Rashford back to his best

7Feb

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Unai Emery relishing challenge of getting Rashford back to his best

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Marcus Rashford of Aston Villa signs on loan for Aston Villa pictured with Damian Vidagany and Monchi at Bodymoor Heath training ground on February 02, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images) Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is looking forward to the “huge challenge” of getting Marcus Rashford back to his best. The 27-year-old has joined Villa on loan on from Manchester United until the end of season, with the option of a permanent transfer in the summer. Rashford left his boyhood club after being frozen out under new boss Ruben Amorim, with his performances having stagnated over the last couple of years.He is in the frame to make his debut against Tottenham in Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round. “I’m very...

Emery relishing chance to take Villa to knockout phase

10Dec

By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

Champions League

Emery relishing chance to take Villa to knockout phase

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 09: Unai Emery manager of Aston Villa talks to the press during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 press conference at Red Bull Arena on December 09, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany. (Photo by Neville Williams/ Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Image) Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is relishing the opportunity to take his side one step closer to Champions League knockout qualification at RB Leipzig in an important game for both teams. A loss at Club Brugge and a draw at home to Juventus means Villa have failed to win either of their last two European games after starting the competition with three straight victories. But Emery’s side still sit only one place outside the top eight and a win on Tuesday could see them climb back into the ...

Aston Villa have given Emery what Arsenal refused to do

7Dec

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa have given Emery what Arsenal refused to do

Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, reacts as he gives the team instructions during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa FC at Stamford Bridge on December 01, 2024 in London, England. Unai Emery has explained how Aston Villa's "protected structure" was lacking at Arsenal after he replaced Arsene Wenger. Appointed 25 months months ago by Nassef Sawiris, Emery has transformed Villa on the pitch, helping them return to European football in 2022/23, before then reaching the Europa Conference League semi-finals and qualifying for Champions League football last term with a fourth-placed finish. The Spaniard's return to the Premier League came after a successful stint at Villarreal, where he won the fourth Europa League title of his career. Then leading the Yellows to th...

Unai Emery satisfied to take six points from August after win over Leicester

1Sep

By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Unai Emery satisfied to take six points from August after win over Leicester

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is happy to finish August with six points on the board after his side secured a 2-1 win over Leicester to return to winning ways. Amadou Onana’s tap in at the back post and Jhon Duran’s header put Villa in control before Facundo Buonanotte brought Leicester back into the contest. Referee David Coote had awarded Leicester a penalty in stoppage time after Ezri Konsa brought down Jamie Vardy again but the linesman’s offside flag came to Villa’s rescue. Emery highlighted August as a “difficult” month and is happy to have six points from a possible nine heading into the international break. He said: “Very happy, we competed like we did in the first two matches. “(August is) a difficult moment for every team because playing with the transfer window not too close....