Unai Emery wants Aston Villa to embrace pressure of chasing European dreams

Spanish manager insists players should be comfortable with growing expectations ahead of Premier League match at home to Fulham

Aston Villa were sitting 14th in the Premier League when Unai Emery took over as manager in October, they are now up to sixth. PA

Unai Emery insists Aston Villa must embrace the increased expectations after their impressive surge up the Premier Leage table.

Since taking over from Steven Gerrard as manager in October, Emery has overseen a remarkable transformation in the club's fortunes, turning them from relegation candidates into potentially playing European football next season.

Villa were 14th and sitting just three points above the relegation zone when the Spaniard, who previously had a spell in the Premier League as manager of Arsenal from 2018 to 2019, took over the reins.

Under Gerrard, they had won just twice in the league all season and his final game saw Villa thrashed 3-0 at Fulham with the former Glasgow Rangers coach sacked immediately after the match.

Now, after a nine-match unbeaten run, Villa have risen up to sixth place and are very much in the running to seal a spot in either the Europa League or Europa Conference League next season.

And as Villa prepare to take on Fulham once again on Tuesday, it will be a very different team the Cottagers face this time round and Emery is relishing the prospect of trying to secure a top-six finish.

“I need to play under pressure because, to me, to play under pressure means you can achieve and you can be successful in your career,” said four-time Europa League winner Emery. “Trying to be positive when you're not winning, you have to be.

Chelsea 0 Aston Villa 2: Player ratings

CHELSEA PLAYER RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6. Had nothing to do apart from picking the ball out of his own net twice. Can’t be faulted for either of the goals. Getty

Kalidou Koulibaly - 6. Showed great stamina to outmuscle Ramsey off the ball as he tried to run through on goal in the 31st minute. Made a number of clearances in the second half but looked shaky against Bailey late on. Reuters

Reece James - 6. Did well to track Ramsey and deny him the chance to play Watkins through on goal in the 27th minute. Made a crucial header to deny Watkins the chance to run through on goal in the 65th minute. AFP

Marc Cucurella - 4. An ill-judged header played Watkins through on goal to open the scoring. Showed good composure to find Felix in the box with a sideways pass despite pressure from Aston Villa's defenders. Reuters

Enzo Fernandez - 6. Pinched the ball off Kamara to set up Mudryk for an early attempt at goal. Played a beautiful cross for Chilwell to head home but the goal was disallowed for a foul. AFP

Mateo Kovacic - 6. Blazed his shot high and wide in the second minute. Played Mudryk through a goal with a perfectly weighted pass in the 32nd minute. Reuters

Ben Chilwell - 7. Unlucky to see his shot come off the frame of goal in the 35th minute. Almost picked out Havertz with a first-time pass across goal in the 37th minute. Thought he had grabbed the equaliser on the stroke of halftime but the goal was cancelled out for a foul on Young. Chelsea’s standout player. AFP

Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 5. Struggled with his role on the right-hand side of midfield. He lacked the pace to get behind Moreno and deliver crosses into the box. AFP

Joao Felix - 6. Almost dragged Chelsea level with a shot that was saved by Martinez in the 20th minute. Unlucky to see his toe-poked shot parried by Martinez in the 61st minute. Getty

Mykhailo Mudryk - 4. Wrongly elected to shoot instead of passing to Havertz who would have been tasked with a simple tap-in early in the game. Could only manage a tame attempt at Martinez’s goal when he was played through on goal by Kovacic. AFP

Kai Havertz - 6. Took one touch too many when he was presented with a chance to test Martinez in the 14th minute. Saw his deflected shot saved by Martinez in the 43rd minute. AP

SUBS: Noni Madueke (Mudryk 58’) - 6. Hit his shot high and wide when Felix found him on the edge of the box in the 62nd minute. Did well to set up Kante for a shot at goal a minute later. AFP

N’Golo Kante (Loftus-Cheek 58’) - 6. Went close to scoring with a shot that went agonisingly wide in the 63rd minute. He added something different to a Blues attack that lacked spark after coming on. AFP

Conor Gallagher (Kovacic 80’) - N/A. Was everywhere after coming on but couldn’t help the Blues reduce the deficit. EPA

Christian Pulisic (Cucurella 80’) - N/A. His cross-shot almost caught Martinez out in the 90th minute. AFP

ASTON VILLA PLAYER RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez - 8. Almost cost his team a goal when he played a shot pass to Kamara that was seized upon by Mudryk but he made amends by making the save. Made another superb stop to deny Felix in the 21st minute. AFP

Ashley Young - 7. A testing game on the right-hand side for Young against Chilwell and Felix. Despite being outnumbered on a number of occasions, the experienced right-back never seemed fazed by the situation. Reuters

Alex Moreno - 7. Dominated the left wing and kept Loftus-Cheek quiet. Found it tougher to deal with Madueke but he never shied away from his duties. AFP

Tyrone Mings - 8. His lax pass almost cost Aston Villa a goal in the 14th minute. His aerial presence was crucial in the second half as he repeatedly won headers in his penalty area. Getty

Ezri Konsa - 8. Made a last-ditch tackle to deny Havertz the chance to have a shot at goal in the 14th minute. Made a double block to deny Kante in the second half. Getty

Douglas Luiz - 7. Played the pass which Cucurella headed into the path of Watkins for Aston Villa’s opener. Sat back in the second half and helped break up several Blues attacks. AFP

Boubacar Kamara - 6. Booked just four minutes into a game for stopping a Chelsea counterattack. Tracked back well to deny Havertz the chance of getting on the end of Loftus-Cheek’s cross in the 41st minute. Getty

John McGinn - 9. Displayed great vision to send Watkins through on goal in the 7th minute. Doubled Aston Villa’s lead with a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. Reuters

Jacob Ramsey - 8. A tireless performance in the first half. Ramsey was involved in almost every good attacking move by Villa. Created the second goal by playing a pass to the edge of the box which McGinn finished with aplomb. AP

Emiliano Buendia - 7. Combined well with Ramsey and set up McGinn for a shot which came off the crossbar. Worked hard in the middle of the pitch in the second half. Reuters

Ollie Watkins - 8. Should have at least tested Kepa when he was played through on goal by McGinn in the seventh minute. Made amends a few minutes later as he got behind the Blues backline and lobbed the ball past the helpless Kepa into the back of the net. Getty

SUBS: Calum Chambers (Kamara 46’) - 7. Brought on in an unfamiliar midfield role, Chambers was superb as a defensive midfielder. Tracked back to block Felix’s effort at goal in the 59th minute. AP

Leon Bailey (Buendia 76’) - N/A. A real thorn in the side of Chelsea’s defenders after coming on as they struggle to deal with his pace and trickiness. PA

Leander Dendoncker (Luiz 87’) - N/A. PA

Lucas Digne (Moreno 89’) - N/A. Reuters

“Then, when you are facing each match, try to play thinking this is the most difficult match of your life. That is my idea to create here.”

Fulham are currently ninth in the table, having returned to form with back-to-back victories – against Everton and Leeds United – after four successive defeats. But they now face a team at Villa Park that have won their last four home games without conceding a goal.

“They are going to face us being strong,” Emery added. “After the last matches we played at home, keeping four clean sheets and playing very well against Newcastle [winning 3-0], they are going to respect us more than normal.

“As a coach, tactically, I expect a lot from them. They have a lot of different, tactical ways to play against us. For us, tomorrow will be a very difficult match.”