Emery Urges Aston Villa to Rediscover Villa Park Fortress
Unai Emery has challenged Aston Villa to rediscover their home advantage when they host Fenerbahce on Wednesday night. Despite their progress in European competition, Villa have endured a difficult start at Villa Park, failing to win any of their first three home matches across all competitions. The ongoing renovation of the North Stand ahead of Euro 2028 has also affected the stadium's usual atmosphere.
Emery believes his team must make further tactical and mental improvements to turn their home form around. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the Villa manager acknowledged that the work being done in training has yet to produce the desired results.
"We are realistic about how we are working and improving things," Emery explained. "But it is not enough yet, so we are having lots of conversations with the team, in meetings and with videos, practicing too to show improvements in matches. At Villa Park, we have not won yet, so it is very important how we can improve things to be closer to winning."
The Spaniard is now looking to Villa's previous success at home as inspiration for his players. He views Wednesday's European fixture as an opportunity to rebuild confidence and restore the intimidating atmosphere that once made Villa Park a difficult venue for visiting teams.
"Tomorrow is a very good opportunity to do one step forward in those improvements and the players as well to get confidence and feel comfortable," he said, as quoted by ESPN.
"Villa Park is for us something very, very special. It should be like the four years that we are here, how we achieved this as a special place, our fortress. Tomorrow is a new challenge to show it."
Aston Villa Face Defensive Injury Concerns
Villa's preparations for Fenerbahce have been complicated by a growing injury list, with their left-back options particularly affected. The situation worsened during the weekend's 2-2 draw against Brentford, when Matteo Ruggeri was forced off at half-time and subsequently faced an extended spell on the sidelines.
Ruggeri's absence adds to Villa's defensive concerns, with fellow full-back Ian Maatsen also unavailable. The situation leaves Emery needing to explore alternative solutions to cover the position ahead of a challenging European encounter.
The Villa manager confirmed that Ruggeri's recovery is expected to take several weeks, while Maatsen could return sooner.
"There are negative ways for some players, because they are injured like Ruggeri," Emery admitted. "We must try to find solutions as Maatsen is not available. I think he should be in a few days, one week or two weeks joining us. Ruggeri, we don't know exactly how long it's going to be, but it will be some weeks that he's going to be out, more than one month."
With limited options available at left-back, Emery must find a workable defensive arrangement without compromising Villa's overall balance as they look to secure another positive European result.
Goretzka Nears Aston Villa Debut Amid Squad Concerns
Leon Goretzka's inclusion in the squad provides Aston Villa with a welcome boost ahead of their meeting with Fenerbahce. However, Emery still has several absentees to contend with as he prepares his team for Wednesday's fixture.
Brian Madjo and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are unavailable after being omitted from Villa's Champions League squad list, while George Hemmings remains sidelined by a minor physical issue.
Despite these limitations, Goretzka's availability offers Emery another midfield option as Villa seek to improve their performances. The manager confirmed that the German midfielder would be included in the squad, although Hemmings is unlikely to return until the weekend.
"Leon Goretzka is in the squad for tomorrow; George Hemmings is still being with a small pain, not available for tomorrow but maybe on Saturday he can come back," Emery stated.
Goretzka's potential competitive debut could provide Villa with additional depth in midfield, although Emery will need to manage his available resources carefully with several players still recovering from injuries.
Aston Villa and Fenerbahce Enter Clash With Different Momentum
Aston Villa head into Wednesday's encounter after a dramatic 3-2 away victory over Club Brugge in their Champions League opener, while Fenerbahce began their European campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Roma. The contrasting results set up an intriguing meeting, with Villa aiming to carry their away form into their home fixture.
However, Emery's side have struggled to deliver consistent results at Villa Park this season. They suffered defeats against Arsenal (1-0) and Nottingham Forest (2-1) before drawing 2-2 with Brentford last weekend. The three winless home matches have increased the importance of Wednesday's fixture, particularly as Villa look to establish greater consistency across domestic and European competitions.
For Emery, the challenge extends beyond securing three points. His team must demonstrate the tactical progress discussed in training, manage their defensive absences and regain the confidence needed to make Villa Park a fortress once again.
With Fenerbahce arriving after a draw against Roma, Villa have an opportunity to build on their European opening victory. Whether they can translate that momentum into a first home win of the season will be a key test of their progress under Emery.
