Unai Emery’s side will rub shoulders with Europe’s elite for the first time in 41 years.
Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history following Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday.
Unai Emery’s side fell short of European success this season after a 6-2 aggregate defeat to Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League semi-final but will now rub shoulders with Europe’s elite for the first time in 41 years.Aston Villa have had a number of injury problems to contend with Villa had their first taste of European football since 2010-11 this term and reached the last four but will now face stiffer competition at Europe’s top table. Their trip to Crystal Palace on the final day of the Premier League season will be their 56th game this term and injuries have started to sweep through the dressing room.
The stand-out performer has been Ollie Watkins. The 28-year-old has contributed 19 goals and 13 assists in 36 Premier League appearances, including notable performances against Arsenal – where he notched the second at the Emirates Stadium to sink the Gunners 2-0 – as well as his hat-trick in the 6-1 crushing of Brighton in October. Others have rallied around their star man, including midfield pairing Douglas Luiz and John McGinn.
While European football has been uncharted territory for many of Villa’s squad, that is not the case for boss Unai Emery, who built his reputation in the Europa League by winning the competition four times – including an unprecedented three consecutive triumphs with Sevilla. The Spaniard has not had the same success in the Champions League but did lead Villarreal to the last four in 2021-22 before losing 5-2 on aggregate to Liverpool.
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