Aston Villa dismantled Newcastle United at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, leaving manager Unai Emery full of praise for his team.
The hosts dominated from start to finish against a side who started the day five points ahead of them in the table, romping to a 4-1 victory.
Each member of the starting XI and all five substitutes played their part in the success, which made it five top flight wins on the spin for the surging Villans.
“I’m very happy,” Emery said.
“How we responded today was really fantastic after the match we played on Tuesday. How we are reacting and responding, coming back to the Premier League and being focused 100% because it’s through it that we can get our objective again to be in Europe and hopefully in the Champions League.
“It was really fantastic. The players trained yesterday and were ready to play today, the substitutes as well with how they made an impact.
“Today was the first match we played with every player available and I needed to take off three players yesterday from the squad. It was the first time this season. It’s something we’re adding and improving in our competitive way because we can have players for different moments and players on the bench ready to play well.
“The example is how we played today in 90 minutes, playing very, very consistently. To have the players available to play again on Tuesday is very important, and for the semi-final against Crystal Palace. Now the problem is for me and how I am taking the decision about the players and our tactical idea to play against every team.
“I’m very happy with how the supporters helped us, helping every day, transmitting their energy and creating this really great atmosphere. We’re feeling strong here, feeling comfortable and playing for our supporters.”
Newcastle had racked up five straight league wins themselves before coming up against Villa, who raced out of the blocks and took the lead with just 33 seconds on the clock.
The Magpies hit back later in the half but were blown away after the interval, with three goals in 11 minutes from the hosts ensuring a well-deserved victory.
Emery now takes his team to Manchester City on Tuesday knowing that a win will see them leapfrog the reigning champions.
He said: “The momentum is important to be focused, to rest well and try to have good food, and then be ready to play matches like we are playing on Tuesday.
“We have to react quickly again to prepare the match against Manchester City. We are in the key moment to try to get our best.
“The team is in this commitment with the messages I am sending, and they are showing us with performances like today. I’m very, very proud of them and happy with their work.”
