Álvaro Arbeloa, the Fulham manager and former Real Madrid player, has heaped praise on Aston Villa boss Unai Emery ahead of their Premier League meeting this week, calling the Spaniard one of the best managers in the world and among the most prominent coaches in the history of Spanish football.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, as reported by Spanish newspaper “Sport”, Arbeloa talked up the strength of an Aston Villa side who also host Barcelona in the Champions League four days later. His team, he insisted, will need a seriously competitive display to take anything from the game.
“If we want to win tomorrow, we have to be very competitive,” the Fulham manager said, before warning of the test awaiting his side. “They are a very strong team, and they beat Manchester City. We know how hard it is to achieve a win against a team like them, in addition to the fact that they will play against Barcelona four days later.”
Arbeloa made no secret of his admiration for Emery’s work at Villa Park. “I think he is one of the best managers in the history of Spain, and he is currently one of the best managers in the world,” he said.
Fulham arrive on the back of a stuttering start to the campaign. They lost their opening three Premier League matches before steadying themselves and climbing out of the drop zone, with victory over Coventry in the last round the catalyst.
The London side sit 15th on eight points, sandwiched between Manchester United and Tottenham. Results have picked up under Arbeloa, who is adamant his team are heading in the right direction despite the scale of the challenge to come.
