Unai Emery addresses Nottingham Forest’s Champions League potential

Unai Emery is conscious of Nottingham Forest’s increasing threat to Aston Villa’s aspirations for a second consecutive top four finish.

The Villa manager has led his team out of their mini-November rut, and they have won four of their last five games, with a loss at the City Ground serving as their lone setback during that time.

Villa is presently two spots and three points behind Forest, who have confused preseason expectations, in sixth place in the Premier League standings.

Before Villa’s Boxing Day match against eighth-place Newcastle United, Emery talked about the league’s current standings and how traditional powerhouses like Manchester City and United are finding it difficult to stay up with the competition for the top four.

“It is not changing. When I arrived here, my thoughts were that it is the most difficult league,” Emery told the Villa website.

“A lot of teams have capacity, with good players, good coaches and good history. Different moments for different teams.

“Now is the moment for Nottingham Forest, but their history is a huge history in the Premier League and even in Champions League, with two wins. Bournemouth now as well, are performing very well. There are a lot of teams now getting more points than normal.

The excellent caliber of the clubs and players is the reason they are receiving those points. The league is incredibly engaging and inspiring for us; we learn how to improve and earn points in every game. We are currently sixth and are making an effort to concentrate and be reliable in every game.

At home, we are feeling better, but when we go out, everything is different. We face this challenge. Newcastle away is our next test.