UNAI EXPECTS BEST VERSION OF RED DEVILS

ASTON Villa boss Unai Emery insisted today's opponents Manchester United still had an aura of "greatness" despite their ongoing struggles.

- BRIAN MCDONALD Football Writer

Villa are bidding to seal a Champions League place on the Premier League's final day and visit Old Trafford four days after United's Europa League defeat to Tottenham compounded one of their worst-ever seasons.

Emery's side are level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea and one better off than Nottingham Forest as the race for a top-five finish goes down to the wire.

Despite United’s woes, Emery said: “Always, (I expect) the best of them. The best. The greatness of Manchester United is still there. The great coach (Ruben Amorim) they have is still there.

“He did a fantastic job in Sporting Lisbon, fantastic and not for one year, not two years, not three years - consistently. When he arrived here, it was a difficult moment.

“Only one of them in the (Europa League) final could achieve their objective and they (United) lost. But their greatness is still being there. The coach is a great coach and the players are very good players.

“We have played here with Aston Villa for three years and I didn’t beat them here (Old Trafford). My respect is a massive respect for Manchester United, their players and for the coach.”

Victory for Villa, coupled with dropped points for Newcastle (at home against Everton) and Chelsea (at Forest) would guarantee Emery's side Champions League football for a second-successive season.

The former Sevilla, Paris St Germain and Arsenal head coach added: “We have Europa Conference League, Europa League and Champions League. We will finish in Europe and that's the first target we set at the beginning of the season.

“We're ambitious and our ambition is how we are being demanding over the second half of the season and arriving in the key moment with the possibility to be there.

“It’s not in our hands, but we did a really great effort to be here now, focusing on the match on Sunday with chances to be there.