"It is for everybody, for the players, for the coaches, for the workers here.

”We can take this award it is because we are doing something well and I am thankful for our players, coaches, supporters, owners, everybody. Of course, it is not for me. It is for our work."

Unai Emery, on his manager of the month award.


"This is another opportunity to try and get up there with Liverpool. The manager likes to put the league table up at times to remind us where we are."

John McGinn, pre-match.


"It will be difficult. We have to defend strongly, we have to control with our positioning on the pitch with our players and try to impose our style, idea and game plan. We have to compete.

"Competing means adapting to them. They are going to play pressing us a lot and demanding a lot from us defensively.

"They are team that when we analyse them and their data, they shoot a lot, they cross a lot and they get a lot of corners offensively.

"They are progressively getting better and are being competitive.

"They had issues with the points deduction but are still playing well and it is very difficult to play them in their stadium and with their fans.

"We respect them a lot. We have some injured players and they have some injured players but we are going to be very competitive and we will respect them a lot.

"They are a team that when we analyse them they shoot a lot and they get a lot of corners offensively.

"They play in combinations and they get a lot of players in the opponent's box.

"It will be difficult and we have to defend strongly. We have to control the match getting players in good positions, trying to impose our style and idea. We have to compete on Sunday and to do that is to adapt to them.

"They are going to play pushing us a lot and press us, they are going to play completely one match in 90 minutes very demanding.

"I don't like to get something when it is positive, when it is being successful.

"I have analysed with players every match we have played away and progressively I am getting off each match information knowing what we have to improve and focus on. Individually we must be demanding with our performances and every match we play I am getting information on how we can improve.

"When we are winning we feel comfortable and we are happy, but it's not only when we are winning. We must find out why we don't win and this information is very helpful for me and for the players. That is the moment we can improve more and focus more. The last match was against Middlesbrough but we lost at Manchester United, that match is the one in my focus with my players.

"Pau Torres is training with the group and Youri Tielemans started this week, progressively getting better.

"If everything goes well then both could be in the squad with the possibility of playing.

"We are going to analyse them individually too for what is the best decision for them. Lucas Digne is not available for Sunday. Robin Olsen is coming back, he trained yesterday and today with us.

"Jhon Durán is playing and he is being important, he is young. We need experiences and he is here having experiences with us. We need a second striker because we have to try to be strong in our squad with two players per position. It is Watkins and Jhon Durán. I am working with him a lot, his commitment is progressively better.

"When we talked about the decision to sign him one year ago, the process we are doing with him is it.

"It is for everybody, for the players, for the coaches, for the workers here," he said. "We can take this award it is because we are doing something well and I am thankful for our players, coaches, supporters, owners, everybody. Of course, it is not for me. It is for our work."

Unai Emery, pre-match.


"It is difficult and we are not being very focused in the transfer window because we are second in the table and have recovered some players who were out until now. I am very, very happy with the players and the players are progressing good.

"The commitment with the players is really, really good. The wishes and their desires to work hard is really good in everybody and we will face three competitions until the end of the season. We need to have good performances in our style and we have the players here.

"Of course, always we are going to try and improve our squad. There are two players, I told you, can leave. Others maybe can also leave but right now it is not so clear. With Chambers and Traore, their situation is clear. The possibility to sign players to replace them, we are analysing players to do that.

"Some players can leave, for example two players, Bertrand Traore and Calum Chambers and in case that situation happens we can think to add one or two players in the squad. The players we have now, we want to help and support right now."

"Of course, we have to accept the rules and have to accept, for example, if we want to sign someone we have to let one leave from our squad.

"We are trying to keep to financial fair play while holding on to the best players in our squad.

”But of course we are not closed off to selling someone if a very good offer comes in.

"And it gives us the possibility to improve our FFP position. But we are going to work with respect to the rules. However we must be sure we do not lose our potential as a team - even if we have to sell some players.

"It is dangerous sometimes when you sell some players just to have money in your pocket. Because then, maybe, you are not being patient and maybe it will be difficult to replace them while remaining successful.

"You need to be clinical with that money. This is the reason I prefer to believe first in the players we have. Of course, we are going to accept and respect the FFP rules - we get it. We are going to be intelligent and smart and demanding. We are not going to lose our potential to keep improving.

"They (the owners) are responsible. We meet with them and we have to accept the rules. And of course, they are very excited and they are very happy with how we are working together and how they invested here in Aston Villa four, five years ago.

"They want to invest more and more but accept the rules and accept financial fair play. We are trying to be intelligent in our transfer windows. We are trying to improve our squad with some players and if we can't do it now, we can think of the next transfer window in the summer.

“With Financial Fair Play we will have to accept the rules and how we are.

"Progressively, with the owners and our work here, every moment we are having, we are going to increase getting better our demands to improve the squad.

"Now we are second in the table, in the next round of the Conference League and the FA Cup, I believe in our players. We are playing getting stronger, more comfortable with more confidence.

Unai Emery, on the January transfer window and FFP.


"It is not enough now with how we are facing the table because we prepared the match thinking to win and thinking to be very demanding and respecting them. The way we did it showing and everything we practiced before to do as best as possible on the pitch, we did.

"We conceded one chance in the first half and always we needed before and we will need the goalkeeper. He saved very good actions.

"We conceded a few chances but in the last 10, 15, 20 minutes - and even in extra-time - we were keeping to our game-plan. We are increasing our performances. We are getting and feeling confident playing in the same style.

"In the 90 minutes we controlled the game. We tried to impose our position on the pitch - and more or less I think we did.

"We stopped them, their high press and aggressiveness coming to us. We stopped it with good positioning and being calm, trying to get with good passes and trying to drive with the ball.

"We controlled the game like we wanted and we created more than them and maybe more than usual away. We weren’t clinical and maybe six times we got into the box.

"We deserve more than we achieved but I am happy because we are increasing our level and progressively getting better and we are being very demanding of how we want to build the team, our structure tactically and I think we are in this process.

"VAR is very important for the referees. I try never to be frustrated if VAR is not giving us the goal or something because we have to respect and have to be adapting of it.

"We are in the table with 42 points and we had the chance for 45, one point is not enough but I have to accept it. I think the players were feeling comfortable and confident. I think the players worked in the idea I am trying to create.

"I don't know [if Jacob Ramsey will be fit for the next game]. We play in two weeks against Chelsea. We will hopefully know more soon.

"At the end of the session he was not feeling very good with some pain in his hamstring. We didn’t take a risk with him. He is going to do a test today or tomorrow and we will know if it is an injury or not. Hopefully if he has an injury then I hope it is not a lot.”

Unai Emery, post match.


"Aston Villa are a good outfit and they could have gone joint-top today. We continue to be a work in progress We've come out with a clean sheet against a top side.

"Our defending today was excellent. Second half they had a lot of the ball.

"We couldn't really get hold of the game with possession. If you can't do that you have to make sure you get hold of it without possession. The will and the demand and the physical side of the game.

Sean Dyche, Everton manager.


"It is not enough for us, the point we achieved today," said Villa boss Emery.

"Now we have 43 points and are keeping more or less the the same position for the next couple of weeks but we have to be focused on each match, but also to improve what we can."

Unai Emery has the final word