Matt Maher brings you all the latest from Unai Emery's press conference, ahead of their FA Cup semi-final clash with Crystal Palace at Wembley.
After a big midweek clash with Man City in the race for Champions League qualification, Emery's men have the chance to reach a first major cup final in years.
After a big midweek clash with Man City in the race for Champions League qualification, Emery's men have the chance to reach a first major cup final in years.
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00:00Good afternoon from Bodimoore Heath where the sun is shining and we're all
00:04trying to avoid FA Cup fever. It's just 24 hours away. Villa against Crystal
00:10Palace in the FA Cup semi-final. A huge game at Wembley Stadium. 85,000 plus crowd
00:17expected. It doesn't get better than this and that was essentially Unai Emery's
00:21message today was enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. He said it four times at one stage.
00:26I want to go through the transcripts of the press conference and count up how many times
00:30he actually said the word but it was very much a case that the head coach and manager
00:36wants to savour every moment of this. Obviously Villa looking to end or looking to take a step
00:43towards ending a 29-year trophy drought. It's not since 1957 that they last won the FA Cup.
00:49But Emery basically saying to the players that you need to make the most of it, you need to
00:53enjoy it. Huge respect obviously for Crystal Palace. This is probably the first trip to
01:00Wembley for a long time that Villa have gone in as favourites really, particularly in a
01:04competition like this. But obviously Palace have got a good record against Villa this season.
01:08Three games, they're unbeaten. Obviously knocked Villa out the Carabao Cup, beaten four
01:13White Sellers Park in February. So I think everybody knows this is going to be a really tough game.
01:19The most interesting thing that Emery said in the broadcast section of the press conference
01:24was the old age question that was put to him of would you rather win the Champions League
01:30or FA Cup or what would be the bigger achievement? And he basically said well we're choosing both.
01:34Why choose essentially? They start in four competitions each season, they're still in two and they want to win the FA Cup and finish in the top five. So they want it all.
01:44The team selection is going to be interesting. Obviously Oli Watkins, Marcus Rashford who starts up front. Rashford got the nod at Manchester City on Tuesday night.
01:57That's probably the big selection dilemma for Emery but he says he loves making these decisions. That it was harder when he didn't have so many good players to choose from.
02:07But it's all set for a great occasion, isn't it? Villa are back in the semi-finals for the FA Cup for the first time in ten years and hoping it will be back at Wembley three weeks later for the final.