Unai Emery: Aston Villa were 'most punished' club during summer transfer window

Their superb run of form has followed on from the toughest period of Emery’s reign which saw them fail to win any of their first five top-flight matches.

Forward Evann Guessand was the club’s only big money signing of a summer window which saw their spending severely limited by Uefa’s financial rules.

Discussing the turnaround since those early weeks of the season, Emery said: “The beginning of the season was different, I don’t want to speak about it too much.

“But I won’t forget about it, because we must remind ourselves about it - and why we were being so poor with our performances.

“It was clear though, the circumstances that we had. In the August transfer window, we were perhaps the most punished team.

“We couldn’t spend money until the last moment, to get some players in on loan

“I was so disappointed in that moment, and we were frustrated.

“But when we got the moment when everyone was here - and we could say ‘this is our season’.

“And the only thing we have, the only responsibility we had. We spoke about consistency - and the response was now there is no doubt, everyone is in the same place.”

Villa were in the bottom three following a 1-1 draw at Sunderland on September 21, a match which saw Emery brand his players “lazy”.

The change in fortunes since has been dramatic yet the Spaniard insists there has been no real secret to the success, as he reminds his team to stay focused heading into the busy festive period.

Asked what had sparked the change, Emery said: “Working hard. We set our standards high, being demanding in our consistency.

“When we are winning, the next day we are looking at the next match.

“The message is to focus hard. This is the only key in our process.

“But the response of the players, they are the protagonists.

“We are facing these challenges collectively as well as individually. They are showing it together with this commitment.

“These are the standards we are setting to be comfortable to compete - and we are getting better.”

Villa’s form has seen Emery and his players face questions about a possible title challenge but they have been quick to play down their chances. 

“The future is unpredictable,” said Emery. “We must focus each match. Of course, if we are winning we can be more positive about the next matches. If we are not winning, we are changing nothing.

“It is worth reminding ourselves of our experiences. Two months ago we were near the bottom. Now we are near the top. Maybe in two months from now we will be back down at the bottom.”