“Really comfortable” – Unai Emery explains why he’s confident ahead of massive Chelsea game

Birmingham – Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has underlined the importance of Villa Park as a catalyst for recovery, insisting his side’s familiarity at home can tilt Wednesday’s pivotal Premier League clash with Chelsea in their favour.

Villa enter the match clinging to fourth place, six points clear of the sixth-placed visitors, who have a game in hand. A victory for Chelsea would slash that cushion to just three points and intensify the scramble for Champions League qualification, yet Emery believes the surroundings of B6 can re-ignite a squad smarting from Friday’s shock defeat to bottom club Wolves.

“Our objective is to be in Europe, and we are in,” Emery told the club’s official website. “Even not in good form, we are in. Of course, we are every day trying to recover our good form and our confidence, and tomorrow, Chelsea is our opponent, and, of course, it’s a tough match. In Villa Park, we are feeling, overall, really comfortable, playing, showing our form, consistency, except the last matches as we played. We want to recover our good form at home. We were winning a lot of matches in a row, and we were feeling so, so strong.”

The numbers support his assertion: prior to recent slips, Villa had pieced together a formidable sequence on their own turf, a run that catapulted them into the top-four picture. Reclaiming that momentum, Emery argues, is now non-negotiable.

Chelsea, meanwhile, arrive in the Midlands on a wobble of their own. Sunday’s loss at Arsenal means Mauricio Pochettino’s men have collected just two points from the last nine available, a sequence that has stalled progress after an encouraging mid-season surge. Anything less than maximum return on Wednesday would leave their top-five ambitions hanging by a thread.

Selection issues further complicate the task. Pedro Neto sits out through suspension, teenage talent Estevao remains sidelined, and although Marc Cucurella could rejoin the squad, the cupboard looks bare on the flanks. That shortage may thrust Alejandro Garnacho into the spotlight; the Argentine has seen limited minutes under Liam Rosenior but impressed as a substitute against Arsenal and is now the only natural winger available, making a maiden start of the campaign almost inevitable.

Villa also have revenge on their minds. Chelsea’s 2-1 triumph at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture remains fresh, and Emery’s squad are eager to signal that result was an anomaly rather than a precedent.

With so much on the line for both clubs, the atmosphere inside a sold-out Villa Park promises to be white-hot. Emery’s message is clear: harness the energy of home, rediscover the swagger of earlier months, and the path back to Europe will look far less treacherous.

Kick-off on Wednesday is scheduled for 19:45 GMT, and the outcome could reshape the complexion of the race for next season’s continental competitions.