Villa impress in Europa League as Emery eyes a dream

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Aston Villa travel to Nottingham Forest on Thursday evening for the Europa League semi-final, a huge tie between two Premier League sides.

The prospect of being in a European final feels worlds away from Forest's reality in the Premier League, where they're five points off of the relegation zone.

Villa are comfortably in fifth, which would secure their place in Champions League football for next season.

And they're set to be fierce competitors, given that they have won 11 Europa League matches this season.

Only Porto in 2010-11 (12), Atletico Madrid in 2011-12 (13) and Chelsea in 2018-19 (12) have won more Europa League games in a single season.

Unai Emery's squad have also won their last nine games in a row – the only English team to win 10 in a row in major European football is Manchester City between May 2023 and March 2024.

In January Emery told the media, after their 1-0 win against Fenerbahce, the club "have clear objectives in this competition to be a contender for a trophy".

"We want to be a contender in case we need this trophy to play in the Champions League. Through our league [it] is very difficult.

"I am dreaming to be here getting trophies and the Europa is one objective we have this year."

Will Villa win their first piece of silverware since 1996?