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UNAI EMERY LIFTS LID ON HOW VILLA’S RAISED DEMANDS FUEL WINS

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery warns his team not to relax ahead of their trip to Liverpool. After a strong turnaround, he demands focus and consistency to face the "incredibly hard to stop" Reds at Anfield in a crucial Premier League clash.

Unai Emery lifts lid on how Villa’s raised demands fuel wins
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery - (Barrington Coombs/PA) (PA Wire)

Regarding the Aston Villa turnaround, Unai Emery shared his opinions.

With a disciplined performance that put an end to Erling Haaland's scoring run, the Villans defeated Man City 1-0 over the weekend, extending their winning streak to four Premier League games. The players should not be afraid when they go to Liverpool, the defending champions.

The Spaniard is aware that his team cannot unwind after going five games without a victory at the beginning of the calendar. However, they arrive at Anfield with a winning record and the same number of points as the Reds.

"Our collective performances, as well as the fact that we are growing and scoring more points than we did in the first half of the season, are crucial. It indicates that both the players and our tactical performance are improving. Compared to our first month in the Premier League, the outcomes are better.

Relaxing is something we must avoid right now, as, although we are at a nice place, it is insufficient.

"In the discussions and training sessions, we raised our expectations. A month ago, we had a terrible moment, and our performances were subpar, so I was concerned about how we were doing.

"I was really anxious. I expressed my concerns to the players and looked for answers. We were putting a lot of effort into recovering from our poor performance. As time goes on, we are improving. We have a problem right now: if we relax because we are performing better, we can become confused.

"My current concern is trying to be extremely demanding and maintain our consistency from our previous games. We must be extremely demanding, clinical, and concentrated in all we do tomorrow if we are to compete at Liverpool's level.

I hold them in the highest regard. Although there may be times when they do not perform well, the coach demonstrated his ability and experience previous season. They were an incredible squad last year. I think they had a great tactical impact and won the Premier League.

They are making adjustments and strengthening the team, even though they have the same coach and better players this year. Although they have excellent players on their own, it will take them some time to become powerful and at ease with their current group. I have a great deal of respect for you, and I am aware that getting anything there will be quite challenging. We must be clinical and give it our all, both individually and tactically.

"Tomorrow will be extremely crucial because of our dedication in the previous games and our good game plan. They are incredibly hard to stop. Like us, they have some injuries. I am energised and thrilled, but I am much more enthused about the challenges we will encounter in opposing them.

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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