Villa's Emery expresses team's motivation and excitement as he outlines goals for the season

Last season, the Midlands club secured a top-four finish, earning a spot in the prestigious Champions League.

However, Emery knows this season will be even more challenging for his side.

He stated: “The expectations for this year are different because we are going to play in the Champions League. This is fantastic for us, it’s a new motivation and the best level in the football world.

“We are going to try and be competitive and try to do our way. The expectation for us in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup is the same.

“We’re not contenders to be in the top four. We’re not starting being contenders to be in the top five. There are seven teams who are contenders more than us.

“We achieved last year a top four position and we have to be demanding, intelligent, hard-working. Other teams are contenders more than us to be in the top four, five, six and seven, and we have to try to beat them.

“They have more capacity than us and we are trying to develop in every direction we can do. We are trying to reduce the distance to those teams, and we are doing it, but there are still seven teams with more capacity than us at the beginning of the season.”

On facing West Ham United, he added: “West Ham, two years ago, they won the Conference League and were playing consistently in Europe. They didn’t get it last year for this season, but their objective is to be trying to get the same as we got last year – to be in the top seven.

“This is an objective they can have. Their power as a club, with the players and coach they have, is going in this direction. I think they’re going to try to get the same as we got last year.

“Tomorrow is a very good match between two teams who are similar. The objective we have must be similar with the potential we have.

“I am very motivated and excited with the players about how we can start tomorrow. We have to be very demanding in 38 matches – we are going to play against every team, contenders to be in the top seven or not.

“The Premier League is the most difficult league in the world, and after the top seven teams, West Ham, Fulham, Everton, Bournemouth, Brighton, Brentford have power to be a surprise in the Premier League.”