Unai Emery held a brief press conference as Aston Villa seeks to further distance themselves from their competitors and solidify their hold on third place in the Premier League.
A victory against Wolves at Molineux on Friday—which has historically been a challenging venue for Emery—could set the stage for Wednesday’s marquee matchup against Chelsea, where Villa eyes a significant advantage in the race for the top five.
Should they win, Villa would leap nine points ahead of the fifth-placed Blues before Liam Rosenior’s side faces Arsenal on Sunday, effectively keeping Manchester United, just three points behind, at bay.
Two consecutive wins would leave Villa in a robust position to chase a return to the Champions League, despite their recent struggles.
However, Emery is cautious about the Wolves encounter; he recalled a tough 3-1 defeat during his time at Arsenal in 2019, where he found his team down 3-0 by half-time, beginning a winless streak against Villa’s rivals.
He has since recorded three losses and one draw at Molineux with Aston Villa—a statistic that clearly frustrates him. Nevertheless, with Wolves currently bottom of the league and facing relegation to the Championship, Emery may finally have a prime opportunity to secure a win at Molineux.
Emery mentioned this challenge without prompting, indicating how much it weighs on his mind, but a victory on Friday could lay a vital groundwork for Villa’s Champions League aspirations.