Unai Emery says Aston Villa are prepared for a difficult match against Sean Dyche’s Everton on Saturday.
The Spaniard knows from past experiences that his opposite number will have a competitive team waiting for Villa at Goodison Park.
Dyche has overseen two wins from three Premier League games in charge of the Toffees, and Emery is wary of the threat they carry.
“He was amazing before in Burnley, and I know him because I’ve played against his teams before,” the Villa head coach said.
“At Everton, he’s getting the same performances. They are very, very competitive.
“Goodison Park is always difficult [to play at], and I think he is creating a new atmosphere with the supporters and the energy he’s brought to the team.
“It’s going to be a tough match, a difficult match, and we have to prepare as best as we can.
“We have to prepare our set pieces because we have to improve as we conceded some goals from set pieces in the last match against Arsenal.
“We are very demanding in how we can improve, especially against Everton who are a threat from set pieces.”
After three consecutive defeats, the message from Emery to his players has been to remain focused on their work and to implement the style of play he wants to see.
Progress will be made one match at a time, and Emery is keen to see his team deliver a positive outcome at Goodison Park.
He said: “The [players’] confidence we don’t need to speak a lot about – we have to practice.
“We have to try to learn, to know how we can improve, to analyse each match. The confidence is coming along, but practicing, playing, taking experiences, taking our time [is important].
“When we were winning, we were excited thinking of moving up in the table and being close to being in the top ten. Some matches that we’ve lost, against Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City, is not changing our idea to escape from the bottom.
“Our idea is to respect each match, to try to find our style, and we are very demanding every day. We have to be calm sometimes because we need to take each step ahead, improving and being sure of what we are doing.”
