Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says Town, who visit Villa Park on Saturday afternoon, are performing well, despite the Blues being without a win in their last four Premier League matches and second bottom of the table.

Town manager Kieran McKenna said he was a big fan of Emery’s work at his press conference yesterday and the feeling is evidently mutual.

“They are performing very well. I appreciate a lot how they are playing, competing,” Emery said at his press conference.

“The coach really, he is showing us his process and his progress, really making a good impact tactically, and then with the players they have, [Liam] Delap is playing and performing very well.

“Of coursem they are in the bottom of the league, but they are competing very well. Tomorrow, I know is going to be a very difficult match and we have to respect them a lot.

“Tactically try to stop them as well, try to impose and dominate the match like usually we want to do. We have to be focused 90 minutes, because it’s going to be a very tough match.”

Ex-Blues central defender Tyrone Mings and his England teammate Ollie Watkins are back after knee and muscle injuries respectively.

“Mings and Ollie Watkins have trained this morning with the group and they are in the squad,” the Spaniard added.

But Villa are still without Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Esri Konsa, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley.

Centre-half Axel Disasi could make his debut having joined from Chelsea on deadline day, while Villa’s other big January signings, Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen, are likely to be involved at some stage.

TWTD

chepstowblue added 17:49 - Feb 14 Some of these managers are very diplomatic. We've been bl**dy awful since the Fulham game and given off the aura of a team that are resigned to their fate !!
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flykickingbybgunn added 18:08 - Feb 14 Agree that it is diplomatic. But not that we are a team resigned to a poor fate. Seems to me there is a lot of fight in us yet.
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SickParrot added 19:13 - Feb 14 It's common sense to praise your opponents publically before the game, just in case you don't get the easy win that is expected. Hopefully the Villa players will focus on our league position and last four results, and believe that they can stroll to a win tomorrow. We're going to get another surprise win soon and it could be tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
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ArnieM added 08:16 - Feb 15 I think the comment of “ we must respect them” is almost disrespectful. Would he say that about any established other PL team? It can almost be condescending. They are no doubt think as one at Villa “ easy three points this weekend then lads”!
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