Emery Focuses on Momentum After Villa’s Victory Over Newcastle

Birmingham, England — Unai Emery has urged his players to keep their momentum after Aston Villa’s impressive 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday, which boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

The victory marked Villa’s fifth consecutive win in the Premier League, taking them closer to the top five. Emery emphasized the importance of staying focused as they prepare for a crucial match against Manchester City on Tuesday.

“There’s still work to do,” Emery said. “For a European position, we are closer after Saturday’s victory and of course happy. But now we are in our momentum, keeping momentum to try and get our best and not waste time.”

Aston Villa started strong with Ollie Watkins scoring just 33 seconds into the match, making him the club’s joint highest Premier League goalscorer. The scoring continued as Watkins assisted Ian Maatsen for the second goal, although Newcastle’s Fabian Schar briefly leveled the score.

Villa secured their dominance as Dan Burn scored an own goal followed by another strike from substitute Amadou Onana. Emery acknowledged the challenge ahead, saying, “There are still 15 points to play, and we are behind those top-five teams.”

Emery’s message to the squad was clear: they need to remain committed and responsive to the challenges ahead. “The players are aware of how difficult it is going to be and their responsibility to respond how they did on Saturday,” he noted.