Unai Emery has done something useful in the build-up to Paris Saint Germain vs Aston Villa. He has pushed the favourites tag onto Paris Saint Germain, while Luis Enrique has admitted he does not know what level his team will have after a fragmented summer. Emery's own side go into the UEFA Super Cup without Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins, who were given four weeks' rest after the season finished on July 19.

Emery's favourites talk

Emery did not hide his angle. Speaking to goal.com, he said: “We are going to try to get the message across to the dressing room, preparing for the match knowing that they feel like favorites. Because of course they are.”

That is a pretty clear attempt to move the expectation away from Aston Villa. It is not a reckless claim either. Villa have won four of their last five, and they already beat PSG 3-2 in the most recent meeting. For a team in their first UEFA Super Cup appearance since 1982, that is a fair bit of recent evidence to lean on.

Emery also explained why Martinez, Konsa and Watkins are not in the squad. “They are not here because they finished the season on July 19 and I gave them four weeks to rest and it is completely necessary,” he said. He added that Villa will prepare with available players, “even some young players, like we started with four weeks ago.”

PSG's summer disruption

Luis Enrique has been more open about the practical problem at the other end. “I do not have players. Some players returned on Monday, and others returned last week,” he said. In another comment, he added: “I don't know what level my players will have tomorrow after their rest at home.”

The form is not disastrous, but it is not the profile of a side arriving fully sharpened either. PSG have won three of their last five, scored six goals in that run and conceded five. The bigger issue is timing, with players coming back at different points and little sign of a settled run into the match.

That leaves Emery in an awkward but useful position. Villa are missing senior names, yet they have momentum and a previous win over PSG to lean on. PSG have the bigger reputation, but Enrique's own words suggest the sharper edge may still be missing in Salzburg.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →