Unai Emery played down the meaning of another reunion with his former club Arsenal.
The **Aston Villa**head coach departed the Emirates Stadium under a cloud in November 2019, but his success at **Villarreal**and **Aston Villa**against the Gunners has given him back the reputation he brought from the continent to the Premier League in the summer of 2018. He still has fond memories of a few players in the squad, but his focus is on making the most of the excellent form of the Villans.
*“Not really, for me, is one match special. Because I played, even when I was in Spain, I played with Villarreal, against them, I played (Arsenal) here many times with Aston Villa.*
*“And now, it's something, there are only two players, I think, it’s Gabriel Martinelli, one of them, and Bukayo Saka, two – I think two players, Martinelli and Saka (remaining). We signed as a young player, William Saliba, but he was on loan when I was there. Only two players.*
“Of course, there are workers, as well, there, in the club, but professionals, we know our way, and we can be one year, two years, three years, or hopefully more years, in one team, one club. We are professional, and we are changing, and we must focus each moment and to take responsibility.
*“Now my focus is Aston Villa. Of course, I appreciate a lot, Arsenal, and how they are doing the way, progressing, being very, very demanding, and being passionate as well. Mikel Arteta, he's doing a really great job., he's incredible how he's progressing, being demanding, the values he set there.*
“And he has set standards more and more and more, and you can watch, watching their matches, even in the emotion, when they are scoring goals, how they are showing their emotions, and how they are being demanding in everything.
“I think this is the secret he can have there, how he's setting those standards, and the players responding, of course, in the level they have, because they have very good players, and they are more and more and more progressively adding better players, and with the capacity they have economically to buy some players like they are doing.
*“And the test we have tomorrow is a huge test because I think he's clearly the favourite this year, clearly the favourite. I think they are competing the best in all the teams in Premier League, the best, the best in competing, I think they are. In everything – set pieces, tactically, offensively, defensively, get duels, they are very good in duels as well.*
“Of course, they can have some injuries because they are playing in a very high intensity each match, and you are closer to getting injured when you are playing with this intensity.
“I am so, motivated, so excited for us. We have now 27 points, and we are tomorrow in the day 15, and of course, two years ago, we performed fantastic, and we were at some points more than this year.
“Last year, we were under in our expectation, and with the points, and this year after how we started, of course, I can feel now confidence, but this confidence I must set strongly every day, and tomorrow is the test, the biggest test we can have.
“The players, they must show as well, they improve, their wishes, and of course, collectively, we must be in the commitment to follow the gameplan, to follow 90 minutes with the idea we are building and with the idea as well we want to get, imposing and dominating the match in everything we can.”