Wednesday’s Europa League final “really feels like the last chance for this Villa squad” to win silverware, says BBC Sport football reporter Nick Mashiter.
Villa’s impressive 4-2 Premier League victory over Liverpool on Friday secured their return to the Champions League with a game to spare, meaning boss Unai Emery can turn his full attention to winning his fifth Europa League title.
In the latest episode of the BBC’s More Than The Score podcast, exploring Emery’s career and what makes him tick, Mashiter said: “The pressure is off to a certain extent. Unai Emery had been always adamant that the league was the priority and qualification for the Champions League through the league was the priority. They’ve done that now and that is guaranteed.
“Emery is incredibly driven and meticulous. It’s not just the Europa League, he’s taken over Aston Villa when they were three points off the relegation zone under Steven Gerrard and in three and a half years he has built them steadily into a team that is consistent, qualified for Europe and is now in a major European final for the first time since 1982.
“Villa haven’t won a trophy for 30 years, so he’s transformed the entire club into one that consistently challenges for European spots and silverware as well.
“They have been to two semi-finals previously and lost them both, so winning the semi-final against Nottingham Forest was a massive hurdle as well.
“Villa need to get over the line because it really feels like the last chance for this team and this squad to really make a mark and win something before there is an expectant change to the squad.
“You’re probably looking at a number of players going in the summer and this is going to be the last chance for them in Istanbul.”
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds