Unai Emery out to enjoy Aston Villa's day at Wembley

Villa head to Wembley for their first Cup semi-final in a decade with Emery warning there is still plenty of tough work to do if his team are to end the club’s 29-year trophy drought.

Yet the main message from the manager during Friday’s pre-match press conference was that Saturday is the kind of occasion to savour.

At one point, the four-time Europa League winner repeated the word “enjoy” four times, while he even told reporters to “enjoy the process” while exiting the room.

Though Emery is determined for his players to deliver, he does not want them to be overcome by the pressure.

He said: “When you are getting experiences and you are getting some trophies during those experiences, the most important thing I learned and I enjoyed was the way. 

“The way, not the end. And how we are doing this year, the way in the FA Cup is really amazing.

“This is the process I want to enjoy. I want to enjoy the semi-final, about everything we are going to do from this week we are doing and now travelling to London, being together, preparing the match, some meetings, tomorrow morning, the atmosphere in the stadium, tomorrow in Wembley. 

“Enjoy, of course, at the end, the objective is to win. But the process is really important in my experiences I had when you are getting ways like now we are doing.”

Villa have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 1996, while they last won the FA Cup 68 years ago.

While Emery has discussed that history with his players, he thinks it is premature to talk too much about ending the drought, with Villa one of four teams still left in this year’s competition.

He said: “I like to speak with the players about their experiences and as well how important it is for the club and the history of the club in this competition. 

“I like it and we are trying to share as well our experiences. But to win is very, very difficult.

“Now we have a 25 per cent possibility to win. 25! That is still very difficult. To win tomorrow against Crystal Palace and to get to the final.

“We have to be motivated, excited but as well keep in balance. There are still a lot of things to do, tomorrow in 90 minutes, in extra time, penalty shoot and in case we are beating them, in the next match. It is a 25 per cent possibility to win this trophy.”

Villa head into the tie as favourites, despite having failed to beat Palace in three previous meetings this season.

That included the Eagles’ 2-1 win in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup and they can become only the second team, after Tottenham in 1969, to knock Villa out of both domestic cup competitions in the same season.

The most recent meeting saw Villa thumped 4-1 in the Premier League at Selhurst Park two months ago but Emery’s team, bolstered by the return to fitness of several key players, went on to win 10 of their next 11 matches before Tuesday’s late defeat at Manchester City.

Villa look far stronger than when they were knocked out of the Conference League at the semi-final stage by Olympiacos 12 months ago.

But Emery said: “You have to show it. Always, you have to show you are better than yesterday. My objective is to be better, even myself, today than yesterday and tomorrow than today.

“This is my objective, every day when I am waking up, is try to get better. And with the club, with the players, with the squad and with individual players as well, to work to get it. Hopefully, we can show it.”