Unai Emery is hopeful that Aston Villa can make home advantage count ahead of the club’s crucial clash with Tottenham this weekend.
Villa host the north Londoners in the Premier League on Saturday, with both teams competing for a place in Europe next season. Emery’s side are eighth in the table, three points behind sixth-placed Spurs ahead of their meeting this weekend.
The Spaniard said his squad are ‘excited’ for the clash and hopes Villa can maintain their strong home form and move a step closer to European qualification.
“We are very excited, we are looking forward to the match. I think everybody wants to enjoy this moment, to be together for 90 minutes at Villa Park,” he told his pre-match press conference.
“At home, we are feeling very strong, we are being very competitive and we are winning difficult matches. Overall, we are making very good progress individually and collectively as a team. I am going to try and get the best performance on Saturday.”
Emery discussed the struggles of this weekend’s opponents, who are onto their third head coach of the season in interim boss Ryan Mason. Spurs have won just one of their last five Premier League fixtures, but Emery is expecting a difficult test.
“They have had some problems in the last month, but they have very good players. The last match they played against Crystal Palace they kept good balance tactically and they have very powerful players in the transition, being strong defensively.
“We have to believe in our players, in our tactical way we are progressing. That is the match on Saturday. To play a great match, have spirit, and trying to get at them. They have a three-goal difference with us but the only thing in our mind is to be very competitive on Saturday.
“The club is working to build and create a great way for the present and for the next years.”
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