Aston Villa boss Unai Emery sets sights on winning FA Cup
Villa begin their campaign against Premier League rivals West Ham on Friday night.
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Your support makes all the difference.Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says winning the FA Cup is one of his side’s targets this season.
Villa are seven-times winners of the famous cup competition but have not lifted the trophy since 1957. They begin their latest campaign to end that long wait on Friday with a third-round clash against West Ham, which is their 150th anniversary match.
Emery’s side are challenging for the top four of the Premier League and are still in the Champions League heading towards the knockout stages.
But the Villa boss is targeting silverware in the FA Cup.
“We are going to play in the FA Cup, trying to be protagonists,” Emery told a pre-match press conference.
“One of our objectives is to try to be a contender for a trophy, and in case of course the winner is playing next year in the Europa League.
“This is the objective for tomorrow, for us, with the match against West Ham.
“We are playing at home as well, and of course we are at the same time trying to build a team, trying to build our structure, and our objective will be clear for the second part of the season.”
Villa take on a West Ham side under new management after appointing Graham Potter as their new boss on Thursday following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui.
Emery said of the Hammers: “They have very good players. It’s a good club as well.
“It’s not good news when they are changing a coach, but it’s an opportunity for him.
“We are going to respect West Ham and we are going to respect him, because he was successful when he was coaching before here in England.
“He has experiences, and I think he is going to do good work.”
Villa will be without John McGinn, who suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday’s win over Leicester.
Pau Torres (broken metatarsal) is also out but Morgan Rogers will be back from suspension.