Aston Villa vs Lille: Emery's Men Aim for Europa League Glory

Unai Emery's Europa league test

Unai Emery's Villa chases first trophy since 1996 against Lille. Aston Villa hosts Lille in Europa League, seeking to defend 1-0 lead from France.

Can Aston Villa overcome Lille and make Europa League history? 

Unai Emery's got his sights set on Europa League glory with Aston Villa, and he's stressing consistency as the key. The Villa boss and midfielder John McGinn chatted with the media ahead of their clash with Lille this Thursday.

A 1-0 win in France last week has Villa looking good, and now they're aiming to defend their lead at home. Ollie Watkins' second-half header was the difference-maker, and Emery's team looks focused on keeping the momentum going against Lille.

Aston Villa suffered a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on Sunday, while Lille bounced back with a 2-1 win over Rennes, setting up an interesting clash between the two teams with contrasting recent form.

Villa Needs Consistency to Secure Europa League Win

Unai Emery knows Aston Villa's 1-0 lead over Lille isn't enough, stressing the need for consistency after their Premier League thrashing at Manchester United. “We know the importance of the game,” Emery said, focusing on securing a spot in the next round.

“We won the first match, which is very important. It is not enough, I know it isn't. Tomorrow is very important for us in this competition. 

“We must achieve consistency... We're playing the second leg in the last 16; when we were here three and a half years ago, it was a dream. I want to be in and fight for the position we are in now.”

Trophy Time: Villa's Chance to Break the Drought

John McGinn's straightforward about it: Villa's in it to win it. When asked if they need a trophy, he replied, “Of course we do. We've got a great squad, great fans, and we're chasing our first piece of silverware since 1996. Why not?”

"We will be ready..." 🫵

Unai previews tomorrow night's second leg ⬇️ #UEL

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 18, 2026

“We had that feeling at the end of the PSG game. I know we got a lot of plaudits from the two legs, but essentially, we had failed in our task. 

“And that's what the manager has driven into us, he is a manager who has a reputation of getting over the finish line.

“We don't want to be a maybe team, we want something to show for it. We know we've got an expectation, we're one of the favourites to win the competition, we know that.”

🔋 pic.twitter.com/gyJWgBtPkp

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 18, 2026