Aston Villa players won’t need reminding to avoid complacency against Wolves on Friday night, Unai Emery says
14:40, 26 Feb 2026Updated 14:41, 26 Feb 2026
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: Getty Images)
Unai Emery goes in search of his first win at Molineux on Friday night and insists he shouldn’t need to remind his Aston Villa players to avoid complacency against the Premier League’s bottom club.
Villa have won three of their last four Premier League games against Wolves – matching their total from the previous 15 meetings – and they are aiming to complete the Premier League double over them for the first time since 2003–04.
All but relegated, Wolves have shown a slight upturn in form under Rob Edwards, but they have still only managed one league win all season, despite coming back from two goals down against Arsenal last week to earn a 2–2 draw.
This is a crucial game for Villa, who can give themselves a nine-point cushion inside the top five ahead of hosting Chelsea next week, while the Blues face Arsenal away on Sunday.
“I think they don’t need it (a reminder). They know how much we will play tomorrow, how the difficult match we are going to play tomorrow,” Emery said of warning his players against complacency.
“And why? We are here together three years and a half. We draw one match against them, and we lost two matches against them. Three matches we played here together, we lost.
“And I played even seven or eight years ago, and I lost, and I was losing 3-0 in 30 minutes. My experience was so, so poor experience there, playing against Wolverhampton with good results. I didn’t achieve good results, playing four times there. It’s going to be difficult. So, so difficult tomorrow.”
“I know it’s going to be very, very difficult to keep our position,” Emery continued. “Why? Because we have three teams behind us: United, Chelsea and Liverpool.
“Our position for them is their objective, their priority and their challenge, and they have the power to get us.
“Of course, our challenge is to try to keep the advantage we have now, and try to play looking forward, and tomorrow, three points, no more.
“Enjoy the way. This is the first message. We must enjoy the way we are doing. And each day is something we must enjoy, practicing and preparing games, focusing on the next match.
“And, of course, we are going to face, we are going to fight, day by day, next week, next month, very exciting moments. Everything can happen, but exciting moments.
“Premier League, Europa League, we are so, so motivated. We are in the day 28, Premier League, tomorrow, playing.
“We played 27 matches, everything we did is done, and now, how we are performing, how we are getting individual and collective performance, how we are showing our energy, our wishes, and how we can share with our supporters, I am so, so motivated for the next match tomorrow, and for the next matches after tomorrow.”
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