Aston Villa will face Newcastle United on Saturday in a competition in which the Magpies, despite the absence of Eddie Howe, are in excellent form and forced their way to the Front of the Champions League fight
Aston Villa -Baas Unai Emery says that Newcastle is in their “best moment” on Saturday for their Crunch Premier League collision in Villa Park.
Villa goes in the game after he was beaten out of the Champions League, but organized almost an unlikely quarter-final comeback against Paris St. Germain, and won 3-2 in the night but missed it. Saturday's meeting with Newcastle will go a long way to say who will dine at Europe Top table next season, with the Magpies in third place with Villa four places below.
Newcastle will again be in the dugout without manager Eddie Howe while he recovers from pneumonia, but will rise in the game from the back of six consecutive victories, including their Carabao Cup triumph. Emery knows the importance of the game of the weekend.
He said: “The first step tomorrow. The first three points we will come across against favorites to be in the top five, because they are really doing very well, they win many matches and get many points.
“They are now at their best moment. They are performing very well, they win competitions, they feel confident, they feel strong. They have five points more than we do. It means a lot, how we are, how they are, how important the match is tomorrow.
“Still 18 points to play (in front) in (de) Premier League, and they have five points in favor.”
Villa is in the middle of a busy period in which they play three games in the room of a week, with a trip to Manchester City that is awaiting Tuesday. Saturday's hosts have endured a tiring evening in the midweek, but Emery will be stimulated with the fact that there are no new injury problems prior to the meeting.
He added: “The most important thing for me now is how they are, the players. We are going to train this afternoon. We are going to try to test the players how they are tomorrow. In the beginning every player is available for tomorrow.
“Only if someone can feel something or tired than normal, but the match of tomorrow is our goal, and the level they (Newcastle) have is a similar level as a PSG's team.”