Aston Villa's Unai Emery loving the thrill of taking on Premier League big guns
Unai Emery claims he is excited by the prospect of his red-hot Villa team taking on Manchester United this Sunday.
The Spaniard admitted in the aftermath of Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Fulham his thoughts were already turning toward the trip to Old Trafford, where Villa will look to extend a 10-match unbeaten run and further boost their European hopes.
They also have the chance of making it four Premier League matches unbeaten against United and completing a season double, having beaten the Red Devils 3-1 at home last November in Emery’s first match in charge.
That was the first of 13 wins in 20 games which has transformed Villa from relegation candidates to European hopefuls.
Emery said: “I like to play under pressure. To be under pressure is because we have something to lose. I like to play key matches.
“I am going to analyse the Fulham match and prepare for Manchester United. I can start now to enjoy the match on Sunday.
“Playing now for something like we are doing, and being a candidate for a Europa League position, is very exciting.
“If we are competing, like we are now doing, and being the candidate to be in the Europa positions, I think it is a very good moment to go there.”
United boast the Premier League’s best home record outside the top two with a 2-1 opening day defeat to Brighton their only domestic reverse on home soil.
But under Emery, Villa have become one of the division’s best road teams having taken 20 points from a possible 27, with February’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City their only loss away from home.
Jacob Ramsey, man-of-the-match in Villa’s November win over United after making one and scoring one, expects Sunday’s match to be a very different challenge.
He said: “That was a great game, the boss’s first in charge. But going to Old Trafford will be different. They have just come off a Wembley win, so they will be on good form. It’s always good to go there.
“It is all there for us. Brighton have games in hand but we can only control what we do and the points we are picking up. We still have to go to Old Trafford and to Anfield, we’ve got Spurs to play. We can only control what we do.”
