Emery Faces Tough Clash with Newcastle

Unai Emery expects his in-form Aston Villa team to face a “very difficult” challenge at Newcastle on Boxing Day. Saturday’s triumph over Premier League winners Manchester City was Villa’s fourth in five games overall.

Newcastle, on a hot streak, will face sixth-placed Villa at St James’ Park. Heading into Thursday’s game, Newcastle has won 4-0 in the league against Leicester and Ipswich, and also defeated Villa last season.

“Very difficult, because I think now they are in good form, and of course they played two years ago in the Champions League,” reported Emery of Newcastle.

The Spaniard praised Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, saying, “Their objective is clearly to be in Europe.”

“Howe was doing great with Bournemouth. His sides are always dynamic, intense, ball-possession-oriented, and aggressive, attacking with several players.

Newcastle beat us twice last year, so I respect them. Their stadium is strong and difficult for the opponent.”

Villa have lost their past four Premier League away games, making Thursday’s meeting a challenging one.

“When I arrived here, my thoughts were that it is the most difficult league,” said Emery.

“Many teams have good players, coaches, and histories.The league is intriguing and motivates us to score points and improve each match. As sixth, we’re focussing on each match and being consistent.

“We feel better at home, but away, it is different.”

Howe urges his eighth-placed team, two points behind Villa, to demonstrate that the Premier League’s top six is not closed. While spending constraints provide problems for both clubs, Howe remains determined to achieve top status in English football.

“I never see anything as a closed shop,” he remarked. “Our job is to achieve our potential and remove internal barriers and expectations to see what happens.”

Howe added: “Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and many other teams have had great seasons. All teams in the Premier League are close this year. I believe there is little difference between top and bottom teams, highlighting the quality of all teams in the league. The difficulty of the games makes them entertaining.

“It creates a great league with unpredictable outcomes. Never know what challenges may arise, thus we must strive to disrupt teams and accomplish success.