Unai Emery explains transfer reason Aston Villa are still outsiders to upset Premier League order

Unai Emery says Aston Villa's "greatest challenge" is to continue upsetting the odds by competing with and finishing above Premier League clubs who have greater spending power in the transfer market.

He has often stated that there are seven clubs - the 'big six' plus Saudi-backed Newcastle United - who should be considered more likely to occupy the European positions at the end of the season, even though only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have won more league points than Villa since he took charge of the club two years ago.

Villa qualified for the Europa Conference League at the end of his first season, before they then secured Champions League football via a fourth-placed finish last term, which was Emery's first full campaign in charge. They take on Tottenham on Sunday, who they beat away from home but lost to heavily at Villa Park last season, before finishing two points above come May.

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"We are respecting the past we did, playing at home and away against Tottenham," Emery said in his pre-match press conference. "Every match we play we try to identify and correct mistakes in our process. Now I am analysing how we are now and how they are with the players they have and in the new season we are doing.

"Tottenham is playing very well and they deserved more points than they have now. They beat Manchester City at home, playing with lots of players who will play on Sunday. Their style and idea is so, so strong. They have individually brilliant players. They signed Solanke and he is giving them a lot more ways to attack and be stronger than last year.

"They are the favourites in front of us for the season and for the match on Sunday. We are competing and we are really being confident, how we are doing our way. We even lost last year against them. We are trying to use a stronger structure to face them on Sunday. We are very excited and motivated, our fans, myself, the coaches, players and the club how we are increasing our level to be contenders with Tottenham, City, Chelsea and Newcastle. Competing with them to be in the top seven, top six or top five."

Emery continued: "They [Spurs] are favourites. We have some advantage in the table, but that can be different after Sunday. Hopefully we can keep our competitive way we are doing. Of course, we have to adapt to them. They are going to impose themselves on us in 90 minutes and we have to stop them and try to dominate them in our idea and set-pieces.

"They are favourites with Chelsea, Manchester United, with Newcastle, and of course, Arsenal are getting better, Manchester City and Liverpool. Hopefully we can keep it [top four] for a long time."

Villa have finished above Tottenham in the last two seasons, by one point in 2022/23 and then two points last term to pip Ange Postecoglou's side to the final Champions League spot.

Asked why he considers Spurs to be more likely to finish in a European position than Villa, Emery said: "Because in the beginning, how we can do a list with the teams in front of us with the [transfer] budget. At the beginning. Of course, the budget is not enough to be favourite, but the difference between them and us is still being a big gap. Of course, we are not thinking of it but I have to tell everyone that there are other teams in front of us at the beginning.

"But we are competing and progressively getting better, keeping the same level we are trying to set as a target. The players, the club each day we are sending the same message inside. To keep it, it is really the greatest challenge we have in the Premier League playing against those teams."

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