Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has urged his team to show greater consistency as they prepare for their FA Cup clash against Preston North End.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the fixture, Emery highlighted the club’s historical struggles in the tournament, noting that while Villa last lifted the trophy in 1957, they have frequently fallen short in the latter stages, including four runner-up finishes.
With Villa aiming for their eighth FA Cup title, Emery was asked how the current squad compares to previous seasons.
“Two years ago, we finished the season strong. We drew against Liverpool and won against Brighton at home. Last year, we finished the season very tired, there wasn’t enough energy, and we lost the last match against Crystal Palace away.
“This year, my idea and how we are now planning the rest of the season is to try to finish with full energy.”
Providing an update on the team’s fitness, Emery revealed that one midfielder is certain to miss the upcoming match.
“I think the only player a doubt for tomorrow is Ross Barkley. Oh, of course, we are going to train now this afternoon, and with players like Emi Martinez, Leon Bailey and Andres Garcia, we will see how they are physically and hopefully, we can keep the players we have now who have been available for the last few months.”
The recent international break offered Villa a chance to regroup, and Emery emphasized the importance of using the time wisely.
“We had a good break. Of course, we were working, and we were focusing the break to try to improve with the players we were working (with).
“Not a lot (of players), because there were more of them with their national team. We used the time as well to analyse the matches we played, deeply, to try to do our best performances collectively and individually.
“From here, for now, until the last match we will play, hopefully for a long time as well.”
Villa’s inconsistency in the Premier League has seen them struggle to maintain a European spot, and Emery acknowledged the need for improvement in the final stretch of the season.
“The season is more or less the consistency we can have, but each moment is different.
“And now, we are in another moment, we have individually and collectively to be very demanding because we were under our expectation, our ambition to get the objective we want for the season.
“Of course, we conceded a lot of goals in the season, we are being sometimes consistent, but not enough. For example, we didn’t lose a lot of matches at home, only one in the Premier League, but we draw a lot of matches.
“This means we are consistent, yes, but not enough, because we are drawing more matches than we needed. Now, today, Friday 28th March is a key moment, how we are going to face the last months in the competitions we have.
“Of course, the idea is to try to get better and be stronger defensively, like we were before.”
As Villa prepare to take on Preston, Emery remains focused on ensuring his squad finishes the season with renewed energy and determination, aiming to make a deep run in the FA Cup while strengthening their league performance.
