Aston Villa coach Unai Emery drew on his experience from two years ago when asked about trophies.
With 20 league rounds still to play, Emery sees no point in talking about the title race at this stage. Rather than wasting time speculating about end-of-season positions, the Spanish coach prefers to enjoy the team’s current excellent run of form.
On Tuesday, Villa will face Arsenal in the Premier League. Villa sit third with 39 points from 18 matches, while Arsenal lead with 42 points and Manchester City are second with 40.
When asked about the title in his pre-match press conference, Emery avoided going deep into the subject, instead recalling experiences from two years ago.
“Two years ago, we ended the first half of the season with 39 points. Now, we have 39 points, and you are asking the same question. Two years ago, this same question came up. After 19 matches, we had 39 points and finished the season in fourth place, qualifying for the Champions League,” he said.
“Of course, that was amazing; but in my view, talking about the title isn’t meaningful for us. Now, discussing the trophy in December is pointless.”
Before facing Arsenal, Villa have won eight consecutive Premier League matches and 11 matches across all competitions. Emery wants to focus on enjoying this impressive run.
“Of course, we are inspired. At the moment, the momentum is with us for the match we want to play tomorrow. The gap between them and us is just three points. That’s our motivation. But if we start thinking about matchday 38 now, it means we’re not enjoying the present,” he added.
