Emery plays down Villa’s title bid

Unai Emery insists Aston Villa will only be Premier League title contenders if they are still in the hunt with three games left.

Villa moved within four points of leaders Arsenal with a 2-0 win at Newcastle, just hours before the Gunners crashed to a surprise 3-2 home defeat to resurgent Manchester United.

Emery’s third-placed side are level on points with second-placed Manchester City as the title race heats up.

Despite Villa’s first victory at St James’ Park since 2005, the always-cautious Emery refused to get carried away dreaming of his club’s first title since 1981.

“Last week we lost against Everton and no-one asked me about contenders for the title, but now yes?” he said.

“Next week we are playing against Brentford at home. Okay, calm. Keep balance is the only objective I have in my mind.

“The only way I know is work every day and if you are performing consistently, maybe you can better and maybe on day 35, we can speak differently.”

Emery has routinely stuck to his belief that Villa are underdogs in the title race because of the financial might of Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

He steadfastly returned to that theme when asked to asses Villa’s hopes of finishing top of the pile.

“Of course, we are competing against Arsenal, we are competing against Manchester City, we are competing against Chelsea, we are competing against Liverpool, we are competing against Newcastle, against Tottenham…Wow, the power they have,” he said.

“But we are competing and we are there, We are getting points.”

Villa, who have won six and drawn three of their 12 away league games, went ahead when Emiliano Buendia picked his spot with a dipping strike that gave goalkeeper Nick Pope no chance.

The Magpies would have been level but for Emiliano Martinez’s superb save from Lewis Miley’s header just before half-time.

Villa struck again at the death through Ollie Watkins, but Emery was hit by a fitness blow after Scotland midfielder John McGinn was ruled out for up to two months with a knee injury.

“We are so, so happy, so proud of the work we did because after we lost against Everton, we needed to react like we did,” Emery said.