'We are not in the quarter-final - there are still 90 minutes to play'published at 21:27 4 March
21:27 4 March
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking after Tuesday's Champions League win against Club Brugge:
"We are not in the quarter-final. There's still 90 minutes to play, we're ready in case we need extra-time and penalties because I know how difficult it is in each match and how we can change one match in 90 minutes.
"The players - I'm sure they have experiences before as well with matches like that and we have to respect the opponent always.
"There are still 90 minutes to play. They won against Atalanta 3-1 and they compete very well.
"We need to watch the match again with the players to understand the difficulties we can face against teams in Europe.
"I am happy but calm, getting balance. There are still 90 minutes to play."
Two-goal advantage 'magnificent' for Villapublished at 20:14 4 March
20:14 4 March
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Former Everton and Chelsea winger Pat Nevin, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after Aston Villa's 3-1 win against Club Brugge in the Champions League:
"Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good and Villa carried a little bit of luck tonight.
"They weren't awful, nothing like that, but a fair result would have been a draw.
"It doesn't matter though. When you get opportunities and have top players that can take them, it makes a difference."
Ex-Villa striker Garry Thompson, speaking on BBC Radio WM:
"You'd have taken 1-1, you definitely would have taken 2-1 so for it to be 3-1 is absolutely magnificent.
"I feel sorry for Brugge a little bit, but this is the nature of the beast. You're playing with the big boys - you make mistakes, you get caught.
"Fair play to Villa, it's not the greatest night of football they've played but they've defended well and got the goals when they needed to get the goals. Unai Emery will be delighted with the way it's gone."
'Stay in the tie and get back to Villa Park'published at 15:09 4 March
15:09 4 March
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Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin says Aston Villa must use their Champions League round of 16 first leg against Club Brugge is Belgium this evening to "stay in the tie".
Villa last played in the last 16 of the European Cup in 1982 and lost 1-0 to Brugge during the League Phase in November, but still qualified for the knockout stages in the top eight after a strong campaign, including a win over Bayern Munich.
"It's going to be difficult for Aston Villa to put down a marker because have a look at their away record, it's not been absolutely brilliant," Nevin told Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
"I was at the Monaco game - they were not a great team and Villa just didn't do that well.
"At home they've been really good and some of the additions and players coming back from injury gives them a right good chance. But, away from home you've got to hard to beat and belligerent.
"People don't think Brugge is one of the major teams in European football but they've had some really good results here - including the 1-0 earlier against Villa.
"People did not expect them to come through the Atalanta game, that was a real shock.
"It goes back to the old one - be in the game for the second leg, stay in the tie and get back to Villa Park. If they can get a win it's party time and they can really enjoy it."
Does cup focus explain recent stuttering league form?published at 11:42 4 March
11:42 4 March
David Michael Fan writer
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Let's not kid ourselves any longer. Aston Villa are now fully focused on the cup competitions, which surely explains their recent stuttering league form.
In the club's 150th anniversary, there will be no better way to celebrate it than to lift silverware. If they do not, next season will mark a new significant anniversary - 30 years since their most recent significant trophy.
Following their 2-0 win over Cardiff City that set up a quarter-final trip to Preston, the FA Cup is their most likely route. But at the moment, it feels only an appetiser as Villa set their sights on something much bigger over the next week - reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.
Much like recent favourable FA Cup draws, the last-16 draw was kind to Villa, handing them a tie against Club Brugge - the lowest-seeded team from the initial league stage, finishing 24th and only squeezing through on goal difference.
That said, Brugge have already proven their mettle by knocking out last season's Europa League winners Atalanta over two legs in the play-off round.
Brugge's only defeat in their past 13 home European games was a 3-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund. And Villa, of course, have already tasted defeat at the Jan Breydel Stadium this season, losing 1-0 in the league phase. Unai Emery will hope Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford can get more joy in the away leg than their new team-mates managed back in November.
With reinforcements incoming after the March international break - Pau Torres, Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara, and Amadou Onana - Villa should hopefully have a strong squad for a potential double quarter-final date.
While some Villa fans will just be happy to be there, for Emery it could already offer his best chance of fulfilling his own trophy dreams with the club.
'Do you want to bet against us?'published at 11:40 4 March
11:40 4 March
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Aston Villa fan Lyne Welling is "optimistic" Unai Emery's side can go all the way in the Champions League.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast while travelling to Belgium, she said: "I'm quite confident. To get into the next round would be absolutely brilliant.
"Hopefully we can go all the way, who knows? Do you want to bet against us? With the additions we've made in January, I'm optimistic.
"Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford are just on a different level. Considering where we were a few years ago when Unai Emery came in, we've just excelled.
"No-one would have thought we'd be here in the Champions League, and now we've also made the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. It's been a brilliant season."
A fairytale for Villa in Bruges?published at 09:33 4 March
09:33 4 March
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
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I am travelling to cover Aston Villa in the beautiful Belgian city of Bruges.
The home side will be a difficult nut to crack, having already beaten Unai Emery's men 1-0 over there this season, but there is an argument that this Villa team is now better than they were before the January transfer window.
January is a notoriously difficult time to wheel and deal successfully but allowing Jhon Duran to leave and being able to bring in Marco Asensio on loan alongside a rejuvenated Marcus Rashford looks like a stroke of genius.
Duran was a natural goalscorer but not a natural team player, and remember at one point it looked like Ollie Watkins might have been allowed to go to Arsenal. Watkins is a team player, Rashford has become one again in the short term and Asensio is a versatile class act.
With financial pressures - and though they will have to consider the costs of keeping Asensio and Rashford long term - this looks like the best of all possible scenarios for Villa, having pocketed a tidy £50m profit on Duran.
Villa have taken to Champions League 'like a duck to water'published at 09:08 4 March
09:08 4 March
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Aston Villa have "looked like they belong" in the Champions League having "sailed through" to finish eighth in the league phase, says The Athletic's chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith.
Unai Emery's men face Club Brugge at the Jan Breydelstadion on Tuesday in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
"It's hard not to be impressed," said Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "They have taken to it like a duck to water.
"They were helped a little bit with a relatively kind group stage lottery draw, but they sailed through effectively. They came eighth in the table and that meant they got automatic qualification, which as one of the lower seeded teams is an incredible achievement.
"They have looked like they belong and that is the most you can say for a team that hasn't been in the competition for 40 years."
Club Brugge have won just one of their past 16 games against English teams in Europe (D3 L12), conceding 42 goals during that time.
However, the Belgian side's only victory did come against Aston Villa, a 1-0 win in this season's league phase.
Emery on defensive reinforcements, 'a key moment' and being 'mature'published at 20:02 3 March
20:02 3 March
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at Club Brugge (kick-off 17:45 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Emery confirmed that Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley are not available, and Andre Garcia and Donyell Malen cannot play as they are "not on the list".
However, Villa's defence gets a significant boost with Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara all returning to the squad.
Emery conceded Club Brugge "deserved" to beat Villa in the Champions League group stage in November because his side "didn't compete like we want to do". He is hopeful Villa will "feel strong" and "compete better" this time.
On if Villa can win the Champions League: "I'm not thinking about it. I'm focusing on each match, each moment. It is not the end - it is the process."
On why European competitions bring out his qualities as a coach: "Every experience I have had before has been very important, but the most important thing I can have now is with Aston Villa. My experiences can help a little bit but they are not really relevant. What is relevant is how we compete now and then it is to try to build a strong structure in the club, in the squad and on the field with 11 players playing how we want."
He did accept that Villa have held their own in the competition this season: "We think we can be stronger and play against every team in Europe. Tomorrow is a key moment for the season, along with the second leg. We have play in a responsible way, with maturity and being emotionally strong."
Emery says January signings Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford have "added players with experiences in Europe and in this competition" that at this level "will help us a lot".
He is happy with how they have settled at Villa Park: "The process they are doing is going well. They are getting better in how we want to use them in our structure [but] we are not going to get our objective only through individual players. We are going to get that objective collectively, building our structure to be as strong as possible, so individual players can use and explore their skills."
'This squad has got no excuses' - McGinnpublished at 19:59 3 March
19:59 3 March
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Aston Villa captain John McGinn says they have a "no-excuse mentality" under boss Unai Emery.
Having impressed last season to qualify for the Champions League in fourth place, Villa have struggled to replicate that form in the Premier League this campaign.
Hampered by injuries to key players, Villa currently sit 10th, five points off Manchester City in fourth and having played a game more.
However, in Europe, they impressed by finishing in the top eight of the new-look league phase.
"I don't know [why we are inconsistent]. You can use all the excuses like injuries, lots of games in a short space of time," McGinn said. "But, last season we adopted a no-excuse mentality. The manager didn't allow us to [have any excuses]. So not hitting the same levels as last season is on us.
"Competing in elite competition in Europe has maybe taken its toll on performances domestically in the league. We will be doing everything to put it right. We have got it in us to put a run together.
"We have proven in the past few seasons that we can get a run [together] and a bit of momentum.
"We are excited to get some players back in the squad and there is a bit more of a spark. This squad is going to get healthier towards the end of season, so we have no excuses."
European prep under way at Bodymoor Heathpublished at 15:31 3 March
15:31 3 March
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It is another big gameweek for Aston Villa as they travel to Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
And while fans might start to be feeling the nerves, the players at Bodymoor Heath training ground looked relaxed and happy on Monday.
Villa last played in the last 16 of the European Cup in October and November of 1982 when they were holders and took on Dinamo Bucharest. They went on to reach a quarter-final against Juventus.
That was 43 years ago, when the average house price in the UK was under £22,000 and a pint of beer cost just 61p.
Oh, and Culture Club were just about to top the charts for three weeks with Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?
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'Villa won't relish a trip to Deepdale' - Robinsonpublished at 10:51 3 March
10:51 3 March
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Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson says Aston Villa "won't relish" being drawn away to Preston North End in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
The Lilywhites reached the last eight for the first time since the year England won the World Cup, 1966, courtesy of a 3-0 derby win over Burnley at Deepdale on Saturday and they are the last EFL side left in the competition.
"No disrespect to Preston but everyone will have wanted them at home, nobody will have fancied going there.
"He's done well there, Paul Heckingbottom. What I've seen of Preston since he's gone in, he's recruited well, changed the style of football."
Robinson ended his career with Burnley but encouraged the Clarets' rivals to seize their opportunity.
He added: "They are a Preston side who are playing the best football I've seen them play in a number of years. I think they are in a really good place.
"I don't like the saying 'it's a free hit' but it absolutely is for Preston - go and enjoy it!"
How FA Cup quarter-final draw panned outpublished at 19:31 2 March
19:31 2 March
The draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals has been made. Here are the four ties in the order they were drawn.
Games will be played over the final weekend of March.
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Preston v Aston Villa
Bournemouth v Manchester City
Brighton v Nottingham Forest/Ipswich
Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff City - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:57 1 March
11:57 1 March
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We asked for your views on Aston Villa's performance against Cardiff City, as Unai Emery's side sealed their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Here are some of your comments:
Rob: A solid and professional performance. There were some hints of fantastic play - Asensio's ball control is just sublime - but, while a strong team was played, we were clearly keeping some energy back for the Brugge game. Cardiff's Ethan Horvath had a fantastic night in goal and deservedly won man of the match. Overall I'm pleased with the result and where we are in the season, especially when I think where Villa were before Emery came in. Every season is a building block - and there will be peaks and troughs.
Nick: A solid performance. I'm glad we went strong, as this competition at least provides the opportunity to go to Wembley. It would be good to give it a real go this season because many of the big clubs are out.
Richard: Glad to get the win and not concede, but we were often too slow in possession when attacking. Asensio and Rashford seem to be a good partnership. It's also great that all of the new signings have slotted seamlessly into Emery's style of play. Hopefully the players aren't too tired for Tuesday's game.
Lee: We did the job eventually. Rashford just needs a goal now, it will do his confidence the world of good. You can't fault his assists though, spot on.
Prit: I'm really happy with the win and it is great to see the Rashford-Asensio axis getting stronger each match. I thought Cardiff's goalkeeper had a great game and I couldn't believe he has only just got into the team. I'm still concerned about our defence. We need Torres and Mings back but, above all, we need a fit Kamara anchoring.
Ian: A good all-round showing. Marco Asensio showing Ollie Watkins how to score goals is a concern. It was nice to get a clean sheet. Let's hope this sparks an improvement in form and results.
When is the FA Cup quarter-final draw?published at 08:53 1 March
08:53 1 March
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The road to Wembley continues this weekend, as teams battle it out to book their spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
There is still lots of Premier League interest in the competition, with 11 top-flight teams all dreaming of a trip to Wembley. Aston Villa are already in the hat for the last eight after victory over Cardiff City on Friday.
The draw will take place on BBC One after Sunday's tie between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford, which kicks off at 16:30 GMT and features Danny Murphy, Micah Richards and Wayne Rooney in the studio with host Gary Lineker.
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