Proud Emery Looks Ahead After Exit

Villa beat PSG 3-2 on the night but lose 5-4 on aggregate in Champions League quarter-final

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LONDON - Unai Emery believes that there is more to come from Aston Villa, as they exited the Champions League with pride after a thrilling 3-2 second-leg win over Paris Saint-Germain on April 15.

The French champions prevailed 5-4 on aggregate to reach the semifinals thanks to their 3-1 first-leg lead, but lost at Villa Park for just the second time in 31 matches.

Emery's men nearly produced one of the most memorable fightbacks in the Champions League. From 2-0 down on the night, they needed four goals to force extra time and were denied only by a series of stunning saves from Gianluigi Donnarumma after strikes from Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Ezri Konsa.

"I'm very proud of everything we did in the Champions League. To get to this level is the next step forward that I want to try to build with Aston Villa," said Emery, who has transformed Villa's fortunes since taking charge in 2022.

"Today it was fantastic how we were feeling here with our supporters. The crowd was fantastic. They enjoyed it as much as we did."

Villa's first foray into Europe's elite competition since 1983 included a famous victory over Bayern Munich in the group stage.