With some key players absent, Emery insists Villa will fight hard for the UEFA Super Cup title.

The 2026 UEFA Super Cup final will be held at the Red Bull Stadium, with Aston Villa facing Paris Saint-Germain from Ligue 1. Unai Emery stated that while some key players will not participate in tomorrow's match, he emphasized that they will rely on the current squad to fight for the title.

With goals from Tielemans, Buendia and Morgan Rodgers, Aston Villa defeated Freiburg 3-0 in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League final to lift the trophy.

In addition, Paris Saint-Germain, after falling behind in last season's Champions League final, equalized through a goal by Dembele and eventually defeated Premier League champions Arsenal 4-0 in a penalty shootout, successfully defending their title.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery said at a press conference, "Konsa, Watkins and Emiliano Martinez are not here because their matches don't end until July 19th. I gave them four weeks of rest, which was absolutely necessary. So they will not play tomorrow."

“Of course, if they were here, perhaps we would have a better chance. But at the same time, I think Paris Saint-Germain would be in a similar situation to us.”

Emery said, "I'm very happy to see the club involved with us and to see us improving while maintaining consistency in the Premier League. We've been in the top 5, top 6 last season, and top 5 two years ago and this year. We also participated in the European Championship in our first season. That's what we're aiming for; no matter what the circumstances, we find ways to stay consistent."

Emery pointed out, "From the perspective of fans and the football world, the Premier League is the world's number one league. Now, I think Aston Villa can further enhance its influence and continue on the path we are currently taking. Of course, this is a huge responsibility for me and the players. For the past four years, I have talked to them about what goals we can set here. Whether it's my goals, the players' goals, or the club's goals, we all must be aligned."

"If we compare ourselves to teams like Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, or Arsenal, we are indeed competing with them, but we don't yet have their strength and resources. One thing I value very much is that we should be happy with the way we've developed, instead of always comparing ourselves to other teams. Because some teams are above us, and some are below us."

Furthermore, Emery added, "We need to keep moving forward and remain resilient during difficult times, just like we showed last season. We achieved our goals after a very difficult season, and August was a particularly tough period for us."

“We will rely on the same group of players who started training four weeks ago to prepare for the match, including some young players. I expect the team to show competitiveness and do our best to face Paris Saint-Germain with our abilities and opportunities, and try to beat them.”

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