Unai Emery has urged his Aston Villa squad to quickly refocus after reaching the Europa League final and to seize their "huge opportunity" against Burnley on Sunday afternoon.
Villa would move to 61 points with a win at Turf Moor. That total is one that sixth-placed AFC Bournemouth could only match if they win all three of their remaining games — against Fulham, Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest — while Villa lose to both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Emery’s side could therefore travel to Lancashire knowing that victory would secure UEFA Champions League qualification if Bournemouth fail to win at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon.
It is crucial for Villa to secure — or at least virtually guarantee — a top-five finish this weekend before hosting Liverpool on Friday, just five days ahead of their Europa League final against SC Freiburg.
"Still some things to close, and speaking about the match yesterday, we are going to play the final, and the final, of course, is one day with our supporters, enjoying travelling to Istanbul, and the preparation, the days before, and the day, especially the day, the matchday, enjoying," Emery said.
"Of course, doing special matches, special day and something maybe for the future we are going to remember, to remember all the process and all the years we are going to be.
"And after, we can win, we can lose. If we are losing, we are not getting a trophy, we are not getting the Champions League position for the next year, and we must, again, watch the league, how we are finishing in the league.
"And of course, the priority to achieve our objective is through the league. And in the league, we are not performing the last matches like more or less we were.
"The consistency is still to try to set the consistency during the league, because of course, our advantage before in some months we did fantastic, is close to (being lost).
"And in Burnley on Sunday is a huge opportunity. A huge opportunity to try to get the fifth position definitely, or of course, waiting for the next two matches against Liverpool and Manchester City.
"And this opportunity is on Sunday. And of course, it’s the priority now, and it’s very, very important."
He added: "It’s very important [to seal top five place], because to play Champions League is the maximum, playing some competitions after Premier League.
"Premier League is the most important, I think, and of course after it, to play in Europe is very important, and Champions League is the most important competition in the world for clubs.
"And to play, it’s prestige to play it, and try to play against the best teams in the world is something we watched last year, playing here, the quarter-finals against PSG was really fantastic, and how we tested as well, our capacity, and how PSG is performing this year and playing in the final last year, how they performed, and how we tested against them, and we were believing as well, we were (close) to (getting) something against them.
"It’s my challenge. My challenge is to play against the best teams in the world. We are doing it through the Premier League, and in Europe as well, playing Europa League, of course, we are facing a lot of very good teams in Europe and different countries, and Champions League is the most.
"And of course, this is our ambition. The first objective is to play next year Europe, but how we are getting the last three matches in Premier League, and we are of course with the advantage to keep the top position, to achieve Champions League is the objective.
"Other teams as well, they are not being consistent, and this year is being less points, like normally every year we are needing to achieve it."
