Unai Emery Surprised by City’s Form but Calls Guardiola the Best
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expresses surprise at Manchester City’s struggles this season but reiterates his belief in Pep Guardiola as the Premier League's top coach.
Unai Emery, head coach of Aston Villa, has acknowledged his surprise at the recent poor form of Manchester City but maintained that Pep Guardiola remains the best manager in the Premier League.
City, currently fifth in the standings, has suffered eight losses in their last eleven matches across all competitions. They are nine points behind league leaders Liverpool and face a challenging fixture against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday.
Speaking about Guardiola, Emery said, “He is the best. I’ve been a bit surprised by City’s form, but that’s football. It will be a very tough and exciting game for us. We have great respect for them.”
Emery also highlighted the importance of adapting their strategy for the clash: “How we face them depends on their approach. We won’t play against them the same way we do against other teams. On Saturday, we meet the best team of recent Premier League seasons. Despite their lack of consistency, they remain top-tier, and Pep is the best coach. They have time to return to winning ways.”
Aston Villa, sitting seventh in the table, trails City by two points after a loss to Nottingham Forest last week. Emery’s side hopes to capitalize on City’s struggles to climb further up the standings.