'This is the key' - Unai Emery explains the biggest thing Aston Villa need to turn around their form

Villa twice paid dearly for giving the ball away cheaply in Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester United.

They now host Lille on Thursday in a Europa League last-16 tie, holding a 1-0 advantage from last week’s first leg.

Emery believes his team, who have won just two of their last nine matches in all competitions, are regaining confidence but concedes they must become “sharper” in their work. 

“This is the key,” he said. “When you can keep the ball and try to stop them with the ball and try to attack more organised, it is like what we want.

“It is like we built the team, normally. In 90 minutes (on Sunday) a lot of things happened, sometimes we did it fantastic and sometimes we missed the chance to take momentum.

“Overall, we needed to play smart and control the match more.”

Villa are looking to reach a European quarter-final for the third successive season in a third different competition, having previously played in the Conference League and Champions League.

Ollie Watkins’ second half goal in France makes them favourites, as they look to preserve their 100 per cent home record in Europe this season, though Emery remains wary of Lille who previously overturned a first leg deficit to beat Red Star Belgrade in the play-off round.

“We are doing overall a good season but we need to react and try to recover the structure,” he said.

“We are working every day to do it. Our next challenge is against Lille at home.

“We need to be together and working with our supporters, trying to help everyone. We have to keep going forward.”