Unai Emery has downplayed the notion that Aston Villa is a serious contender for the Premier League title. Despite a remarkable transformation last season, lifting Villa from relegation candidates to a seventh-place finish and Europa Conference League qualification, Emery remains cautious about their title prospects.
Villa's impressive form continued this season with 29 points from 14 games before their clash with reigning champions Manchester City on Wednesday night. Despite City being expected to bounce back after three winless games, Villa dominated the match, securing a well-deserved 1-0 victory through a Leon Bailey strike in the second half.
In a remarkable display, Villa had 22 shots on goal compared to City's two, placing them in third position on the Premier League table, just four points behind leaders Arsenal, whom they face on Saturday.
Despite their strong position, Emery, when questioned about Villa's title aspirations after the game, played down the hype. He emphasized that there are seven other teams better equipped to vie for the championship in May.
The 52-year-old's perspective, as quoted by The Independent, reflects a measured approach to Villa's current success.
"We are not contenders. There are seven teams who are contenders more than us.
"Now we are on game 15. We are going to play game 16 on Saturday against Arsenal and we are going to focus on it. We are happy to be third but to keep it is going to be very, very difficult.
"While we are there we are going to try to keep it. If we keep progressing during the season, playing matches and winning like we are doing maybe we can be a contender but I think we need more time.
"We can believe but we are not contenders. There are another seven teams and that didn't change. It is game 15. Maybe by game 30 or 32, but not yet."
