Agbonlahor gives Unai Emery at Aston Villa verdict in Europa League claim

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Gabby Agbonlahor believes qualifying for the Europa League is driving Unai Emery to succeed at Aston Villa. The Spaniard has the Birmingham natives dreaming of Europe.

Aston Villa have not competed in a UEFA competition since contesting the play-offs for the 2010/11 Europa League campaign. It has been 14 years since the Villans last contested the proper stages of a European tournament. They made the last 32 in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup.

A place in Europe has remained out of the club’s reach since having not finished a Premier League season in the top 10 since 2010/11. But Emery has fuelled dreams that Aston Villa can qualify for the Europa League this term. They enter Saturday sat sixth in the standings.

Unai Emery has Aston Villa dreaming of the Europa League

Emery has moved Aston Villa into the Europa League qualifying places after overseeing five straight wins. They can further cement their claim with a win at Brentford on Saturday. But the Villans have also played more games than some of the teams around them in the table.

Yet Aston Villa were far from in the conversation for the Europa League places when Emery replaced Steven Gerrard. He formally took charge on November 1 with the club 16th in the table. But only Arsenal (44) and Manchester City (41) have claimed more points (38) since.

Gabby Agbonlahor feels the Europa League drives Unai Emery

Now, Emery’s work at the Villa Park helm has Aston Villa dreaming of possibly qualifying for a new European tour. But Villans hero Agbonlahor also believes the UEFA competition is what drives the Spaniard. He has won the trophy three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal.

“Emery is a manager who has won four Europa Leagues,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT. “He wants his teams to be in it and this is why he has been so determined with this Villa side. I think certain managers suit certain teams – he’s come in and he’s suited Villa.”

Sevilla swept up the UEFA title in 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 under Emery to become the most successful side in the competition’s history. No other team has ever won it more than three times. Sevilla had already won the title twice and would lift it once again in 2019/20.