Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery insists the team must reach a higher level as the club chase Champions League qualification and aim for Europa League success, with Villa balancing a strong Premier League position after a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest and a two-goal advantage against Bologna in their European quarter-final.
Villa lead Bologna 3-1 from the first leg in Italy, leaving Emery's squad close to the Europa League semi-finals, while the point at the City Ground moved Villa three points ahead of Liverpool in the race for a Premier League top-five finish and potential Champions League football next season.
Emery made clear that performances must step up from good to outstanding if Aston Villa are to secure both their domestic and European
aims, stressing that a solid display at Forest was not enough for a side targeting the top five and a deep Europa League run at the same time.
"We are playing for excellence, Emerysaid after Neco Williams' first-half leveller cancelled out Murillo's own-goal opener at the City Ground. We were excellent in December. We were two or three points behind Arsenal and behind Manchester City. And how we were one month ago was not excellent, like in December, but we were very good. And how we are now is the same in our objective, the Europa League quarter-final and in the Premier Leagues top five positions. Of course, today the match is something similar. We played a very good match, but the next step forward is to play excellent to win. We tried it, and Im so happy that we were keeping a strong game plan and the players were following it. We tried to win, we played to win, we competed to win. "
Against relegation-threatened Forest, Aston Villa created enough opportunities to take all three points, with Morgan Rogers, who forced Murillo's own goal with a driven cross, and Ollie Watkins both missing clear openings in the second half that could have turned a single point into a vital away victory.
Those missed chances added to a pattern that may worry Emery, as Aston Villa have now dropped five Premier League points from winning positions since the beginning of March, with three surrendered against Chelsea and two at Forest, having let slip only four such points between August and the end of February.
Through that period, Emery still viewed the Forest result as useful, but warned that Aston Villa need a sharper edge when leading matches, because dropping further points from winning positions could damage both their Champions League qualification hopes and their momentum heading into the closing Europa League fixtures.
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Aston Villa game plan, next fixtures and search for killer instinct
Emery highlighted how supporters have followed Aston Villa closely in a demanding week of travel and fixtures, with the squad set to return to Villa Park for the second leg against Bologna, before immediately switching focus back to the Premier League schedule and another important domestic test.
"Through our game plan, we planned, and we have got a very good match, a very good point, but still the next step forward to achieve is excellence," he added. "We need three points, like the match we played today or in the next matches, to be a contender to be in the top five. Our next match on Sunday, Sunderland, is the next challenge in the Premier League. And of course, the Europa League is something we must feel comfortable, happy, proud of everything we are doing. "
With Aston Villa protecting a 3-1 advantage against Bologna and preparing to face Sunderland on Sunday in the league, Emery continues to demand higher standards from the squad, linking strong tactical discipline, converted chances and consistent excellence as the key elements needed to secure a top-five finish and progress further in the Europa League.
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