Emery wants Villa to keep pushing after Europa win as Tielemans seals win in Basel to keep Aston Villa on march.
After Evann Guessand’s early goal was wiped out, Unai Emery looked to Tielemans after halftime, and the midfielder delivered inside eight minutes, restoring the advantage with a sophisticated first-time finish. This was their 14th win in their previous 16 games, and it felt more noteworthy in light of the pileup at the top of the table during the battle to automatically progress to the round of 16 in March.
Then came an ominous message from Emery. “We can’t stop,” he said. “The Europa League is very important for us – to be favourites, it depends if we are playing consistently, getting in the top eight. There are other teams progressively getting better. This competition is very difficult. But of course we are motivated, focused and we want to enjoy each moment, share emotions with our supporters. “
That is what playing in Europe is all about. We have had those exciting moments in the Conference League, Champions League and now the Europa League. Three points today gives us confidence for the process.” Villa are third on 15 points after a fifth win from six matches, but only five points separate Lyon, who are top, and Red Star Belgrade in 17th.