Lineker reacts to what he saw Emery do at Aston Villa, Shearer says it’s ‘Crazy’
Unai Emery is enjoying another successful season at Aston Villa and could guide the West Midlands giants to Champions League qualification once again.
After Saturday’s impressive 4-1 victory over third-place Newcastle United, Emery’s men sit level on points with fifth-place Chelsea with five games remaining.
Villa have won 10 of their last 11 games across all competitions, but were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stages against Paris Saint-Germain.
Emery’s side face an important fixture in their top-five push on Tuesday, when they lock horns with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Gary Lineker reveals what he loves about Emery
After they clash with City on 22 April, Villa then turn their attention to an FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace on 26 April.
Meanwhile, speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football, Gary Lineker said: “I have to say I love watching Emery on the touchline. Obviously, he’s brilliant, and tactically, he really knows his stuff. But his energy on the side, he lives and breathes every moment.”
Alan Shearer added: “Doesn’t he? Crazy.”
Villa’s FA Cup semi-final can define their season
After surprising their Premier League opponents by landing a top-four spot last season, Villa proved their worth in the Champions League this term, as demonstrated by their run to the quarter-finals.
| Opponent | Result |
| PSG (A) | 3-1 L |
| Southampton (A) | 0-3 W |
| PSG (H) | 3-2 W |
| Newcastle (H) | 4-1 W |
Although the West Midlands giants were knocked out at the last-eight stage, Emery’s men did themselves proud when they beat PSG 3-2 at Villa Park on 15 April.
But now that Emery’s side have shown that they can qualify for the Champions League and enjoy a strong run in the competition, the Premier League club are still yet to win any silverware since their League Cup triumph back in 1996.
Therefore, Villa can rubberstamp their recent success into the history books by clinching FA Cup glory this term, but they must beat Crystal Palace in their semi-final to possibly achieve that.
Last time out against Oliver Glasner’s men, Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat on 25 February, and will be looking for their revenge at Wembley.