"We didn't want to leave these games with any regrets, and I think we've done ourselves massive justice. We've had low moments. It's a demanding club to play for but what we've done in the last few years is exceptional. The margins are so slim. If we lost, we're the nearly men. When we go to Istanbul, we need to make sure we're not the nearly men."
"I'm normally quite calm before games, but today I was nervous. Tonight was up with one of the best performances I've seen from a Villa team for a long time. I wasn't nervous in terms of the team turning up. We've turned up in big games, maybe just not in big semi-finals. The injuries Forest have had may have helped decide it, but we needed to capitalise and we did."
"He was in the dressing room with the players and, of course, he is so happy. We will enjoy the final with our support. Emery won the competition three seasons in succession with Sevilla, between 2013 and 2016, and again in 2021 with Villarreal. Emery also reached the final with Arsenal in 2019, when Chelsea prospered."
"Villa's captain scored twice late on as Villa romped to a 4-0 Europa League semi-final second-leg win over Nottingham Forest to maintain Unai Emery's hopes of a record fifth title in the competition. Villa will face Freiburg in Istanbul on 20 May. This was Villa's third semi-final in three seasons, having exited at the last-four stage in the Europa Conference League in 2023-24 and lost their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace last season."
Aston Villa reached a first European final since 1982 after a 4-0 Europa League semi-final second-leg victory over Nottingham Forest. John McGinn scored twice late, following goals by Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Buendia, who converted a penalty. The result maintained Unai Emery’s hopes of winning a record fifth Europa League title. Villa will face Freiburg in Istanbul on 20 May. Villa’s captain emphasized avoiding the label “nearly men” and said the team needed to capitalize. Emery noted Prince William joined the players in the dressing room and expressed happiness, while Villa’s group was described as deserving success after recent lows.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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