Villa's maybe men edge closer to finishing the job

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Emi Martinez's long-term Aston Villa future is still in doubt

Football reporterPublished2 hours ago38 CommentsAston Villa were urged not to become a "maybe" team. Yet maybe this is their year.

When Emi Martinez charged up the pitch to celebrate after his quick thinking set up John McGinn's opener there was no doubt their Europa League dream would continue.

In a moment of magic the Argentina international saved Nabil Bentaleb's free-kick before launching a perfect pass to Jadon Sancho to run on to and tee up McGinn.

"Olivier Giroud was stood right in front of him, he put it over the defender's head and the rest is history. Captain's performance."

Martinez celebrated wildly after McGinn's goal, sprinting to the halfway line to celebrate with his team-mates before gesturing to the Lille fans, who made their feelings clear.

"It was brilliant from Emi," McGinn added after the game.

"He's a mad man. I know he's a family man, but he is a big kid inside, a lively character and a top goalkeeper."

It was skipper McGinn who called on the squad to finish the job against Lille and follow boss Unai Emery's lead.

It was therefore fitting the midfielder scored the first goal, which ultimately ended the visitors' hopes of a comeback and sent Villa through.

Emery has won the competition four times and, thanks to McGinn and Leon Bailey's second-half strikes, is closer to adding a fifth.

Bologna await in the quarter-finals after they beat Roma in a thriller and with Lyon, who topped the league phase, knocked out by Celta Vigo, Villa can see their path to glory.

This month marks 30 years since Villa last won silverware, the 1996 League Cup under Brian Little, and after awful Premier League form Villa may have revived their season just in time.

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Aston Villa have reached the quarter-finals in major European competition in three consecutive seasons

Emery became the quickest Villa manager to 100 wins with victory in France last week.

Villa Park marked the achievement with fans holding up 'Emery 100' cards as the teams walked out.

He knows how to get the job done and, with Villa searching for their first trophy in three decades, the end of the drought is in sight.

Villa did what was necessary against Lille, even if the performance still lacked the style, tempo and class they have produced this season.

Those levels remain from their stumble in the Premier League, with just two wins from 10 games, which has added jeopardy, something which did not look likely at the start of the year.

Overhauled by Manchester United, Villa - who host West Ham on Sunday - are lucky to still be in the top five, mainly due to Liverpool and Chelsea's failings.

But Emery, rightly, continues to ask to be judged after 38 games and where they will be at the end of the season.

Last month he was being asked about being in the title race and on Wednesday he pointed out being in Europe and in the top four was just a dream for the club when he took over three and a half years ago.

In his first press conference the former Arsenal and Paris St-Germain boss stated he came to Birmingham to win trophies and Villa have edged a little closer to that goal.

Emery has now reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the eighth time, no other manager has done so more than five times, while Villa have made the quarter-finals of a major European competition in three straight seasons.

"Villa [were] very professional, not outstanding, just doing enough to get to the next round," Dublin said.

"That's what they need, but they will have to up their performances if they want to get to the latter stages of the competition.

"I think there is more to come from them. If they do that, they can really surprise a few people."

Villa's financial position has left them struggling to compete in the transfer market.

Two years ago, when they reached the Champions League, they had to sell Douglas Luiz to Juventus for £42.5m to balance the books. Last summer academy graduate Jacob Ramsey joined Newcastle for £40m.

Returning to the Champions League will solve many financial headaches for Villa and potentially allow them to spend and strengthen.

The club feel adhering to the Premier League and Uefa financial rules is unfair. They agree there needs to be regulation but believe the regulations do not work alongside each other.

England's top-flight clubs have voted to move to a system called squad cost ratio (SCR) next season.

This allows teams to spend 85% of their income on player costs, although a complicated set of factors means clubs could go as high as 115%.

Uefa's SCR spending limit is 70%, which all clubs in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League must adhere to.

"We know the restrictions are there financially. They need that money or they will have to sell players.

"It's crucial for them - whether they do it by winning the Europa League or finishing top five in the Premier League, right now they can't prioritise one over the other.

"They have to go for both at full strength to hope that one of them pays off and they make it. If they don't make it the summer could be difficult for them."

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