Emery wants Barcelona test to show Villa’s progress

Unai Emery says Aston Villa want to measure their progress against Barcelona when they meet in the Champions League on Tuesday, as the manager looks to establish Villa among Europe’s elite.

The fixture comes four years after Emery took charge of Villa, then struggling in the Premier League. Since his appointment, the club have won the Europa League and returned to the Champions League. Emery said the match would help Villa “see how far we are from” Barcelona, whom he described as one of the competition’s favourites.

Villa’s progress has prompted speculation about Emery’s future, but his contract runs until 2029. The BBC reports that the club expect to offer him a new deal following the Europa League win. Emery has previously said his ambitions at Villa included winning a trophy and playing in Europe; both have been achieved.

The manager’s task is to keep building despite a summer in which Villa lost several players, including Emi Martínez, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne. Ollie Watkins also left for Saudi Arabia, according to the BBC. Emery said Villa were confident in how they were developing and in their ability to compete against teams such as Barcelona.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick praised Emery as “one of the best coaches in Europe and the world”, pointing to Villa’s structure and attacking patterns. He called Tuesday’s match a tough test against a good team and coach.

Villa will have to contend with Emery’s poor record at Barcelona’s Nou Camp: he has lost 14 of 15 matches there. He said those experiences had taught him, and described facing Barcelona as “a huge challenge”.