Unai Emery returned to Basel’s St Jakob-Park on Wednesday with a sense of nostalgia. It was on this turf that he lifted his third Europa League title with Sevilla in 2016, defeating Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 3–1. While the memories are cherished, the Aston Villa manager insists his focus is firmly on building something new.
“This competition is very special for me. We won here, it was a fantastic day and a fantastic memory. But now I want to create a new moment, a new era with Aston Villa,” Emery said.
A proven specialist in the Europa League, Emery added a fourth trophy with Villarreal in 2021, and Villa now emerge as one of the favourites this season. They arrive in Switzerland as the Premier League’s most in-form team, riding a run of seven straight victories—the latest, a dramatic stoppage-time win over Arsenal.
A win against Basel would move Villa to 15 points, a tally that would have sealed automatic qualification for the last 16 under last year’s inaugural league-phase format. This season, finishing in the top two still offers key advantages, including home second legs in the knockout rounds.
“Our priority is to fight for the top eight,” Emery said. “Playing the second leg at home is a small advantage another target for us.”
Villa have claimed 13 wins in their last 15 games, their only slip-ups coming against Liverpool at Anfield and a surprise collapse at Go Ahead Eagles in October. Basel, however, pose real danger: they have won their last seven Europa League home matches. Emery warned his squad against complacency. “We lost our last away match in Europe, and we must remind ourselves,” he said.
Rotation is on the table with a trip to West Ham looming on Sunday. Defender Matty Cash kept expectations grounded when asked about Villa’s title credentials: “We need to have a bit of Christmas dinner before we start thinking about that,” he joked.
Villa are also pushing forward off the pitch, working on a €12m deal to sign 19-year-old winger Alysson from Grêmio ahead of January. Their domestic revival dates back to a draw at Sunderland on 21 September, where they registered their first league goal of the season. Midfielder Youri Tielemans said a players’ meeting after that match sparked their resurgence.
“We asked ourselves how to get back to our level,” Tielemans said. “Since that day we’ve gone up a level. Our standards are high and we’ve won a lot of games, but it doesn’t stop here. We want to keep pushing.”
Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott was left out of the travelling squad, with Emery confirming the club is seeking a “solution” for the 22-year-old. Elliott, who has made just five appearances for Villa, is unlikely to feature again due to an obligation-to-buy clause that triggers at 10 games.
Elliott can only move this season to a club outside UEFA jurisdiction, having already played league minutes for Liverpool and Villa. “He is training very well, but there are circumstances,” Emery said. “Hopefully we can find the best solution for him and for us whether together or not.”
