Unai Emery admits dramatic shift in ‘ambition’ after Aston Villa clinch Champions League top spot

Aston Villa’s goal in the Champions League has shifted since topping the 36-team table.

Unai Emery has stated that Villa’s prior goal of qualifying for the Champions League play-off round through the top 24 is now a little obsolete.

The head coach, who was happy with his team’s 2-0 win over Bologna to make it three wins in a row and move them to the top of the table, feels Villa are capable of skipping the play-off round and progressing directly to the competition’s last 16.

Emery has underlined that Villa must take each game as it comes, but there is a sense that a top-eight finish is feasible provided his players continue to follow his planned game plan well.

“We will focus on each match, but based on how we are doing right now, we are in a good position in the table,” Emery stated during Tuesday’s post-match press conference.

“Of course, we won the first match away against Young Boys, and we were thinking about the goal for the next round. Then, in the event of victory, we discussed with Bayern Munich how we may achieve another goal in the top eight.

“Today was another challenge; the goal was to win, and we were thinking about those three points.” We will focus on the next match against Brugge, but if we continue to perform well and win points, we will be able to adjust our goal of finishing in the top eight.

“But I want to feel like we’re doing things naturally, rather than as a surprise because we’re performing well. There are other clubs vying for a spot in the top eight, but we are, of course, confident,” Emery said.

Villa still has a long way to go, with games against Club Brugge, Juventus, RB Leipzig, Monaco, and Celtic on the schedule, but the mood is upbeat overall. The next Champions League match, away at Brugge, is on Wednesday, November 6.

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