Pau Torres' confident Aston Villa warning should make Man City and Arsenal uneasy

Aston Villa defender Pau Torres believes that Unai Emery this team can go even higher than last season

Pau Torres considers Unai Emery to be among the best - if not the best - managers in the Premier League right now - and, as such, Aston Villa head into every game, including those games against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, of the belief that they can win in any environment or scenario.

Centre half Torres has been a revelation for Villa since joining the club from Villarreal - where he'd previously worked and won the Europa League under Emery - last summer and he proved to be a big miss at the heart of defence when he suffered injury issues in the winter. Now, he is very much a fixture at the heart of the defence.

Villa beat City and Arsenal at home in the space of a week and then ended Arsenal's title hopes when they inflicted a second defeat on the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium towards the end of last season. For Torres, former Arsenal boss Emery is among the managerial elite and he can envisage Villa knocking more traditional big clubs off their perch under his stewardship.

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Torres also sees no reason why this new look Villa side, buoyed by the additions of Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley and Jaden Philogene and set to welcome back Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara from long-term injuries, cannot go one better than their fourth placed finish last season. Sure, it might be a tall order, but it's indicative of the collective mind-set at Bodymoor Heath instilled by Emery.

“There is no doubt Unai Emery is one of, if not, the best manager in the Premier League. Who else has four Europa League titles? His record in European competition speaks for itself," he told Betano Sports.

"I think this shows the true quality of him as a manager. His preparation ahead of the game is so good to inform us exactly what to do and what the opponent will do. We will always be confident of beating any team with him in the dugout.

"As a team, we are prepared to better last season’s finish of fourth. We have the talent in the squad to do so and improve even further. We are working so hard, and we have Champions League football to manage also now, so we need to keep a good balance to do well in each competition. We all know what we are capable of and we really feel we can go further this season."

Torres also paid tribute to Ollie Watkins, whose goals went a long way to helping all at Villa realise their Champions League ambitions last season; he made 40 goal contributions in 53 appearances last season and then fired England to the final of the Euros with a finish against The Netherlands in the semi-final. Watkins has five goal contributions this season already, in six outings. Torres is a big fan.

"Ollie Watkins was the main part in us getting Champions League football," he said. "He had an amazing season; he’s a brilliant striker and we are very confident with him in the team. Everybody believes in him, he deserves everything that comes to him as he works so hard.

"The Champions League is the best competition in the world, as a team you must enjoy this experience with the supporters. They have been waiting a long time for this and we need to go as far as we can for them."

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