There is a lot to be said for how well Aston Villa have played and improved under Unai Emery. Each league presents its own challenges. As a whole, from top to bottom, the Premier League is the most difficult and challenging league for a player to endure.
Between the 38 matches, FA Cup, EFL Cup, and international competitions, there is a lot for an EPL side to attempt to handle throughout the course of a campaign.
While speaking with Diario AS, Pau Torres spoke about some of the challenges that the Premier League provides and his overview as a whole of what it is like to play in England.
The defender noted how sides that did not fare well during the domestic portion of the season, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, went on to be finalists in Europa League, with Spurs ultimately winning the competition.
It is another indicator of how, even during a down spell for a club, the Premier League can boast a challenge from top to bottom that other leagues do not. Case in point, the final Matchday for Villa is one that supporters would erase from memory if they could.
Missing out on Champions League makes things more difficult for Villa in terms of what the ultimate goals are. Torres mentioned how it will be up to those in decision-making roles, such as Damian Vidagany and Monchi, to find ways to keep the strength of the squad up without the allure of the top competition and with the added future constraints that will come with not having that tournament's revenue.
Immediate goal for Aston Villa to strive for
Even so, the overall outlook from the Villa defender seemed mostly positive. While he and others are disappointed about missing out on Champions League, they will know that that is something that is well within reach to be earned this upcoming season.
In an EPL that can often see drastic shifts from teams on a year-to-year basis, Torres is aiming to keep Villa toward the top of the standings now and for a long time to come.