'I don't want to waste time' - Emery eager to turn Aston Villa into contenders
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says "I don't want to waste time" as he looks for further improvement following his side’s Champions League qualification last season.
Villa secured a spot in European football’s top club tournament for the first time since 1983 last term after finishing fourth in the Premier League and have been on an upwards trajectory ever since Emery took charge in October 2022.
However, the Spaniard is still looking for more as he prepares Villa to face his former club and likely title contenders Arsenal in what promises to be an early test of their credentials for the season.
Emery, whose side started their campaign with a 2-1 win at West Ham, told a press conference: "The last history of Aston Villa is progressively getting better, but five years ago they were in the Championship.
"With the new project, with the history, with the new way we want to create here, it’s about trying to be contenders and be consistent – we have to try to be progressively stronger, getting in the top four like last year.
"I don’t want to waste time here myself as a coach, progressing as a coach, and I want the same mentality from the players.
"To achieve the objectives we are facing, dreaming is very difficult, but I want to dream and work hard to get it. At the moment we are in a good way but there’s still a lot of work to do to continue being consistent like I want."
The last time Villa faced Arsenal, goals from Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey saw Emery’s men earn a 2-0 win at the Emirates in April in a result that ended up proving hugely damaging to Arsenal’s hopes of winning a first league title in 20 years.
Despite that victory though, Emery is under no illusions about how big a task they face at Villa Park on Saturday against a