Unai Emery challenges Aston Villa's players to keep moving up the Premier League
Unai Emery has urged Villa to keep looking up the Premier League table and challenged them to pick off those teams above.
Villa have climbed from 16th to 11th in six matches under the Spaniard and a top half finish feels an increasing possibility.
But while pleased with their progress, Emery is demanding more from his players.
He said: “I have spoken to the team and I told them I want us to look up, not look down.
“The teams in front of us are all having good seasons. There is Brighton and Fulham, while Liverpool and Chelsea are close as well.
“I know to be in the top 10 is very difficult. But we must demand to be competitive and consistent in every match.”
Though Villa have taken 13 points from a possible 18 since his arrival, hard-working Emery believes there is still plenty of work to be done.
He explained: “I share my analysis with the players and I’ve told them we have to improve.
“We are defending well. But we are not attacking the way I want. We are not imposing ourselves for 90 minutes in the way I want. This is our challenge.
“Playing away, we have to be so demanding and we must be so respectful at the beginning if we are to play our football.
“Right now we are not consistently playing the football I want us too.”
