Unai Emery has called on his Aston Villa players to raise their level and deliver a more consistent performance if they want to look competitive against Barcelona, in Tuesday evening's eagerly awaited Camp Nou clash in the UEFA Champions League.
The demands came after the draw with Fulham. Emery was far from satisfied: Villa lost control in the second half and let their opponents back into the game, highlighting once more the need to sustain their level across the full 90 minutes rather than settle for good spells that guarantee nothing.
Villa have not lost in their last five matches, winning three and drawing two in the Premier League, but Emery does not see those results as enough to erase a faltering start to the season. He wants improvement before the difficult European test against Barcelona.
"I want to see more consistency," the Villa boss said. "In the last five league matches, we won three and drew two. These are not bad results, but our bad start is still a problem. We have to change our plan quickly in preparation for Tuesday's match against Barcelona. We must keep working and move forward."
Emery knows the scale of the challenge waiting at the Camp Nou. Barcelona have lost only once on home soil this season, against Real Madrid. That demands a more stable, focused display from his players, with none of the drop-off that crept in against Fulham.