EMERY NEEDS EUROPA SPARK

Continental competition can help Villa boss overcome troubled start to domestic season

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Unai Emery will hope a return to the Europa League this week serves as the spark plug that ignites Aston Villa’s season, while Nottingham Forest embark on their first European campaign in 30 years.

Emery, 53, is the most successful manager in Europa League history, winning the title three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, but his Villa side have made a troubled start to the new campaign.

They are winless through their first five English Premier League games and had failed to even score before Sept 21’s 1-1 draw at 10-man Sunderland, which left Emery “frustrated and disappointed”.

“Our start, we've not been doing well,” admitted the Spaniard, who also took Arsenal to the Europa League final in 2019 but lost 4-1 to London rivals Chelsea.

“There is still work to do. Some players are adapting in the squad and our idea, and they will need time.

“Other players were here last year and know how we want to build the team and how we were being successful in the last three years.”

Villa reached the quarterfinals of last season’s Champions League before losing 5-4 on aggregate to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.