The focus for Unai Emery at Aston Villa will always be the Premier League. He has made that crystal clear, and there is little reason to believe that his stance will change any time soon.
Many view Europa League as a great chance to win a piece of silverware. While that prospect would certainly be more doable than winning Champions League by comparison, the secondary European competition in itself should not be taken for granted. There will still be quality teams in UEL and even if it is only one or two who are on approximately equal footing as Villa, that's all it takes when it comes to a semi-final or final matchup.
With Emery in charge, there is likely to be a continued emphasis on doing well in all competitions, including the domestic league and European tournament. This could provide a chance for Villa to earn its first piece of silverware in an area other than the assumed best spot for the side to do so.
During tournaments, anything can happen, particularly in formats that do not also have a group phase. It only takes one good outing or a rough day at the office from the opposition's point of view in order to capitalize and advance in the FA Cup or EFL Cup.
More in line with what will be relevant for Villa, this is a team that will still have plenty of depth and options at its disposal. There will certainly be injuries that occur, but assuming there is a regular run of health and player fitness, someone who could be on the pitch more will likely spend more time watching than they'd like.
Continued push elsewhere for Aston Villa
That is where the FA Cup or EFL Cup can come into play. Emery is likely to go with his strongest possible available formations, regardless of which fixture. That can vary, however, depending on the fitness or form levels of the individual players. Someone playing on Saturday may not be ready to go an additional full 90 the following Tuesday.
Depending on which competition Villa ends up progressing in and doing better, it shouldn't be dismissed that either of the aforementioned tournaments could end up proving to be the better option to see the Villans lift a trophy.