'We want to keep our good form'

Unai Emery is looking forward to seeing Aston Villa test themselves against Sevilla as the squad aims to maintain form and fitness.

Villa won three of their four matches before the extended international window, subsequently working hard at Bodymoor Heath before heading to Spain for a training camp.

Their time abroad comes to a close with a friendly versus the La Liga side at their Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán home on Friday night.

“Everything is good,” Emery reflected when speaking to VillaTV.

“To have this break, working one week in Birmingham and the second week here in Spain, trying to keep our routine working because we need to keep the rhythm we achieved before the break and the good results we achieved.

“The players were working last week in Birmingham and in Spain, it’s really fantastic how they are responding every day to keep the same mentality we were working with to prepare the next match against Brentford and then Champions League.

“The players with the national team are working with their teams, but we must continue working here ourselves, trying to get stronger for the next challenges we will face.”

The match in Seville will see Emery return to the club where he won three consecutive UEFA Europa League titles.

Villa are guests for the 15^th staging of the Antonio Puerta Memorial Trophy Match, in honour of Sevilla’s former midfielder who passed away in 2007 shortly after collapsing during a match.

Emery said: “It’s important to play against Sevilla because we want to keep our good form we had before the break, keeping the same mentality as last week when we were playing against Southampton.

“Playing in the Antonio Puerta match is important for this cause.”

Watch the match on Friday evening (KO 7.30pm) live on VillaTV.