“I want to play tomorrow, I want to play next week, I want to play two weeks after.

“I want to continue playing. I don’t want holidays! I want to play.

“Why? Because now we are in our best moment, and we have to try to reduce the distance between us and the opponents who are above us.

“During the season, sometimes I was missing a lot of things. Now, we have players, work, focus, and a good mentality - a very good mentality.

“They are working, every day, fantastically. The message we are sending in the dressing room is a strong message: we have to get Europe again, and we have to play the last matches to finish the season as best as possible.

“Now is not the time to think about the summer. It is only about playing matches, and then, when we finish the season, we will prepare for the next one.

“Of course, if I am watching one of them not being focused, I am going to take him out [of contention to play].”

Unai Emery, pre-match.



“It is the moment for Barkley, it is the moment for Amadou, for Kamara, for Lamare Bogarde.

“Barkley, he is here for it. When we have some injured players, or we have some players not getting fit like we need, or maybe getting tired, we need players.

“We signed him because he was performing fantastically last year at Luton, and because of his qualities, his skills - we liked and needed him.

“Of course, when he's been consistent and playing, being a substitute player but always making a good impact, it was fantastic. He scored goals as well, and we got some points and he helped us a lot.

“When he was injured in January, February, March - more or less three months - of course we were missing him.

“We were missing the minutes he was giving us, playing, performing, and his consistency. And now again, it is the moment for him. He played the last match he played.

“He's feeling good enough again to help us with his qualities. And tomorrow, the same - we will need him to be ready, in case he's playing in the starting XI or in case he's playing as a substitute.

“We played a consistent midfield of Youri and McGinn because we didn't have enough players to replace them. One match, another match, another match, another match.

“We didn’t have substitute players because Kamara was injured, he was getting progressively better, and Amadou Onana was injured, Ross Barkley was injured. Lamare Bogarde - we needed to play him as a centre-back.

“Now, of course, it is not good news to have some players injured like Youri Tielemans or Marcus Rashford, but we have enough players to replace them and get through with our performances.

“Of course, Youri was performing fantastically. He is dominant in some different tactical ways we have. With the ball, without the ball - he was very important and versatile.

“But now is the moment for an opportunity, and we need players now to replace him, performing in the same way.”

Unai Emery on Youri Tielemans’ injury.


"I think sometimes I'm at my best when I don't have to think too much. The pace was already on the ball and I knew a little touch would help it in. It's a special goal for me to break the record and to put the side 1-0 up.

"When it comes up on the VAR you're praying it doesn't get ruled out. Especially when nobody had appealed for it. It's nice to see I was onside but it's VAR, you know how it is.

"I said from the start when I joined the club that that's what I had my eyes on. It's taken a while to do it but now I'm going to celebrate with my family, celebrate the little wins. It's a big achievement. some unbelievable players have played for this club. You look at the names, so to be up there on the top of that I'm really proud. It's great achievement."

"Yeah you know it's going to go to the wire. We have two massive games now. Everyone is fighting for Champions League spots. It's the best competition, everyone wants to play it. everyone has got their eyes on it. it's where you want to play, against the best teams and best players."

"At the start of the season there were times when we were winning but conceding a lot of goals. It's nice for Emi Martinez. He's big on clean sheets. He's like a striker that is disappointed if they don't score, he's the same with clean sheets. He was unbelievable today. You need a presence like him in goal."

Ollie Watkins, post-match.



"The players compete very well. It's difficult here because Bournemouth are performing fantastic. We are in Europe. Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. Of course we want to try to get our best dreams of playing Champions League again but there are teams in front of us. With this victory we now have the possibility to get it.

"We have to play Tottenham at home and we must focus on this game. Of course it is important. We have to do our work and do it like we did today. To play in Europe for the third year in a row, I am so happy.

"I told the players we needed to focus for 90 minutes and injury time. Don't watch the result or the time because we need to focus. If we can score the second goal even better. We needed the defence, the clean sheet was very important. They had some chances, especially at end but we had 10 players and we kept a clean sheet.

"We dominated the first half and had chances to score. Then they had the opportunity to get something, then we needed the goalkeeper and Cash to help.

"Very good of course. Achieving this for Ollie Watkins is fantastic. Through it we are also taking more points and winning today but we are also trying to set the objectives and achieving it like we did today with Watkins.

"We are so motivated. We are finishing the season but we have the ambitious objective in front of us. We are the third year here in a row getting Europe, it's fantastic. I don't want to finish the season, I want to recover the players and then think about Tottenham at home.

“Focus on this match. Recover, then rest. Focus goes on Friday against Tottenham at home at Villa Park."

Unai Emery, post-match.



"I am very proud of the team and grateful for the owners and the way they are supporting us and are ambitious. They are very focused in different competitions and achieving different objectives and the most important for us is the Premier League to once again get Europe. We are in the run for it and we are competing today with the demands we are increasing in the dressing room. The players, we try to get out of our pressure something positive.

"It is the best competition in the world and we are winning matches and we can be a good contender. We are winning to try and be there. The first objective is to try and play in Europe again and we are feeling comfortable with the pressure we are setting ourselves. We are fighting with Manchester City and Chelsea and we fight for Europe.

"Fantastic. Brilliant. We are here, collectively achieving our objective. Ollie Watkins is fantastic. He played consistently here and he is very humble. Trying to improve every day sand he is not relaxing. He played fantastic. We were very demanding how we we needed to press them and threaten them.

"We did it collectively and over 90 minutes very good work. We did not concede a lot of chances. But how we compete and defend, I am so proud of them."

Unai Emery, post-match.



"Bournemouth are a great team here at home and they don't give you much space. They put us under a lot of pressure and Morgan [Rogers] has put it on a plate really.

"I think it is massive for us. There are a lot of teams that are pushing for Champions League spots and it is going down to the wire. Getting that goal to break the record for this club is massive and something I had my eye on when I came to the club. I said it in my first interview and it is a great achievement for me.

"I think when I came back from the Euros, I saw how demanding it is. I take my hat off to the lads that do that every year. Mentally for me, it was really difficult. It takes a toll on your body. I felt like I didn't have that much power this year and I have kept plugging away and I have a bit of rhythm.

"It is massive. Going down to 10 men and them putting a lot of pressure on us. Our away form hasn't been great and it is massive and we will be watching the game tomorrow. We need to make sure we win the last two games and it is in our hands to do that."

Ollie Watkins, post-match.



**Unai, congratulations on a fantastic win...**

“Fantastic to be in Europe, it is the third year in a row. We have a very ambitious objective and we will play matches for it [Champions League].

“I am enjoying the momentum we are in. Players are taking the commitment we need to fight to again be in the top positions in the table. Today we showed it.

“Sometimes you can feel pressure, but try to understand that we will feel it in our process like something positive.

“Today, we were sometimes remembering how we lost points in the last minutes, like Man City, PSG. Today, in the dressing room I said we have to enjoy playing even when the opponent is pushing us and it’s in the last minutes. We have to feel comfortable playing to our objective."

**Watkins broke the club's Premier League scoring record today...**

"He deserves it completely. He is a hard worker and he is committed to Aston Villa. To achieve it, he really deserves it. I am so, so grateful to have a player like him."

**How big was today's win?**

"Today we got Europe. I appreciate to play in Europe. How we can develop playing in the Premier League and in Europe is fantastic.

"The club and the owners, and everyone at Bodymoor, everyone knows how we can increase our process and get the objective.

"This is the challenge I have, to develop always our process and be demanding. And how we can compete better."

**How crucial was Cash's intervention at the end?**

"We needed it, the goalkeeper, the defence. We spoke in the dressing room to enjoy the match and play each minute even losing, winning or drawing to be focused.

"Today we kept a clean sheet and we missed that during the season. We were not performing like we planned. The players reacted very well to the challenges we set in January.

"I want to play. I don’t want holidays. We will now prepare the game against Tottenham."

**Can you celebrate qualifying for Europe?**
"No celebration, of course no. We have something to celebrate, but we have challenges in front of us. It is not in our hands, but we can push other teams by winning."

**Did you think it was a red card for Ramsey?**
"I like the English referees. Overall they perform well, but two yellow cards, maybe it is not fair for him."

**Will you be disappointed if you don't get into the Champions League?**
"To play in Europe is fantastic and very difficult through the Premier League. I am not going to be disappointed if we don't get the Champions League. Winning today, we will have points to play for and we are going to push other teams."

Unai Emery, post-match.