"For our players who were playing for their national teams, I was very happy for Watkins.

"For him [McGinn] and for his national team, and for Austin [MacPhee] it is very important and I am happy for them.

"Of course, Pau Torres, he knows me. I know him before and wanted to meet again. I believe in his potential and I want to exploit it. I think in my idea, my style, his qualities and his skills are very important.

"Lenglet and Pau Torres are both the players who have come in for Tyrone Mings and added his characteristics. Playing a lot of matches like we are playing and like I want to play, they’re important left-footed players building up with the ball and of defensively as well, trying to get our performance always in the adaptation of Premier League. The advantage he has, Lenglet, is that he played here before. The adaptation of Pau is going really well.

“[West Ham will be a] very difficult football match. I respect West Ham, the players, the club, Moyes, and I think they are being like last year or two years ago. Defensively very strong and their commitment, structure, is really strong.

"They have added this year keeping ball possession and better than last year. They are playing comfortable and they are feeling confident playing this year I think better than last year. It will be a very difficult match, they are two points behind us. They were the team who struggled last year in the Premier League, but they were successful in Europa Conference League.

"This year I think they are doing one step ahead trying to get top 10 position and I think they can maybe be in the top six. That is the reason why it is very important.

"They were being a very organised team defensively. They are difficult to break their structure defensively. Their transition is one of the best of the Premier League teams. They are keep possession more than they were doing and they are comfortable doing it, successful as well taking different points in matches.

"The last match away against Liverpool was really very good performance they had, not winning, but they deserved more than they did. As well playing in Europe they were winning their last game, not only playing defensively strong, they are playing now feeling good and with skilful players, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta is playing well, Antonio is strong in transition. Defensively they are being very strong. They have a strong structure, even offensively they are getting better.

“We are not thinking what we did. We are focused on what we can do and how we can improve and how we are going to face the next match. We are going to share it with the fans. Villa Park is special. Each match is a big challenge to keep the same level we are taking there.

"We have to adapt playing on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, 24 hours is better for the players who were a long way away. From Argentina and Colombia we have some players [come back] on Wednesday on Thursday they were with us and I am thinking the best is to adapt quick.

"Yes, I tried in the pre-season and I am trying now as well to play with two or three centre-backs, but the structure is not changing. The structure is to always stay in the same way, to play with two or three centre-backs, trying to build-up with four.

"We can take different spaces with the ball, without the ball. We can be in a medium block defensively, but I want to add one player more as well thinking in our structure for set-pieces. In the idea we are building, we are not changing with two or three.

“We must be demanding to improve. There are seven teams who are clear contenders for the top seven. We are one team, like Brighton, like West Ham. We are trying to get European positions and trying to be inside those teams and we are one of them.

"Myself, I am very demanding and the players are demanding trying to push the club, increasing our level to be a contender progressively to be with those teams. That is my ambition and objective to get there being a contender progressively more. I think not now, but in our process to be in the top seven, or top eight, being a contender for those positions."

Unai Emery, pre-match.



“We tried to motivate as well with West Ham in two ways. One is that they were behind us in the table, two points behind us. Today was very important how we were facing and finishing the match.

"The second was thinking and reminding the players of the last matches we played here, Emi Martinez, Watkins, Konsa, McGinn, they were not being successful against them [West Ham] and trying to change it. They did it.

"We want to build a strong structure and the consequences are then to have an idea, style very clear and being comfortable doing it. We want to play with good positioning and playing in the same idea. Then, being competitive and respecting them when we need to do it.

"The response has been fantastic and the fans as well, they are understanding our way and our idea. They are being patient and I think the process is going in the right way. Hopefully we can keep it for a long time. It will be very difficult. In the end we won 4-1, but every match they are demanding from us a lot.

"Zaniolo I think played very well today. His adaptation is going well. It’s not easy to introduce him in this squad, in this starting XI. It’s the same for Carlos, Lenglet, Youri, the new players. I am happy with them and I am practicing every day on the training ground.

"We want to build here and to create a great atmosphere with our supporters, transmitting their wishes. Of course, that’s to win and to build a strong structure offensively and defensively, also creating one structure playing in the idea we are doing.

"Every player as well has an objective. Douglas Luiz to improve, to score goals. For example, today he shoots very well and scores, but he shoots and the goalkeeper saved before. In Wolverhampton, he had two very good option as well at the edge of the box and he didn’t score. We spoke about it. We said ‘Douglas we need more, because you are getting there and you have to connect better’.

"He did it today and that’s the improvement I am proud of. When he scored two goals I was feeling a little bit that he relaxed, he lost two balls on the pitch and I was very demanding with him.

"I like to score goals. I like to score them through keeping clean sheets and being defensively strong. Today we concede one goal. Not only the strikers as well, Douglas Luiz. It’s very important for other players, Bailey, Tielemans, they must do a good impact when they play minutes.

“We are trying to connect them practicing a lot and we are trying to work each one individually thinking each skill, quality, how we can link better as possible. Really, they are being and feeling good together playing. We have to add Jhon Duran, Leon Bailey as well. Zaniolo is playing left, Ramsey we are waiting for. Everybody has to practice a lot when they are not playing.

"It’s 38 matches. We lost in Newcastle 5-1, we lost to Liverpool 3-0. We are not going to play them again. I prefer to speak about the matches we won and played well, but I have to speak about the matches we lost. This is the balance.

"It’s clear for me that we have to be very demanding, building a strong mentality and 35 players, each one he has character and personality. I have to be very demanding with each one. Some players like Watkins, he is very committed with his work every day, practicing every day trying to improve. He wants every day to do analysis and to add more work on the pitch every day. That is the mentality I want.

"There are seven teams as contenders in front of us. We are after seven teams. They are Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle.

“I respect him [Dean Smith] a lot. I know he is from here. He was the coach when they were promoted to the Premier League again. I played Aston Villa when he was a coach and I respect him a lot. He is an Aston Villa supporter as well.”

Unai Emery, post match.