Unai Emery has heaped praise on the 'new' Newcastle United and believes the Magpies represent the 'most difficult challenge' to Aston Villa's recent revival. The in-form teams meet at Villa Park on Saturday, with Eddie Howe's side looking to record a sixth straight Premier League win to boost their top-four hopes.
Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in the Clarets dugout in October following a successful spell in charge at Villarreal. Villa have since recovered from a poor start to mount an unexpected challenge for European football, with victory over Nottingham Forest in their last outing extending their unbeaten league run to seven matches.
Emery turned down Newcastle's job offer in November 2021, with the Magpies facing a relegation battle following an absymal start to the season under Steve Bruce. The former Arsenal and PSG boss was asked about the changes he has since witnessed at St James' Park, and whether he saw any similarities between the two clubs.
