Unai Emery insists Aston Villa's main priority this season remains finishing in the Premier League's top five, despite a Europa League final being on the horizon. 

Villa reached their first major continental final since the 1982 European Cup following Thursday's 4-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest, which sealed a 4-1 aggregate success.

They will take on Bundesliga side Freiburg in the Budapest showpiece on May 20, with two league fixtures to come before they make the trip to Hungary. 

Emery's side make the trip to Turf Moor to take on already-relegated Burnley on Sunday and start the weekend six points above sixth-placed Bournemouth in the race for Champions League football.

The Opta supercomputer has assigned Villa just a 4% chance of finishing outside the top five, and Emery wants to secure a return to UEFA's flagship competition via league position, rather than relying on winning the Europa League. 

"If we lose [the final], we are not getting a trophy, we are not getting the Champions League position for the next year, and we must, again, watch the league, and how we are finishing in the league," Emery said.

"The priority to achieve our objective is through the league. In the league, we are not performing like we were in the last matches.

"The goal is still to try to set consistency throughout the league. Burnley on Sunday is a huge opportunity.

"A huge opportunity to try to get the fifth position definitely, or of course, wait for the next two matches against Liverpool and Manchester City.

"This opportunity is on Sunday and, of course, it's the priority now, and it's very, very important."

ONE STEP CLOSER. pic.twitter.com/Lp04oRhKRD

— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 7, 2026

Burnley, meanwhile, are playing in their first fixture since having their relegation back to the Championship confirmed following a 3-1 defeat away to Leeds United last time out. 

Anton Stach, Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin rendered Loum Tchaouna's 71st-minute strike a consolation, with Burnley falling to their 23rd league defeat of the season.

The Clarets are also without a win in 13 home Premier League games (D4 L9) since a 2-0 victory over Leeds in October.

They could equal their longest home winless run on Sunday, going 14 between February and October 2021 previously, though interim boss Michael Jackson believes his team owe the Burnley supporters something to cheer. 

"Let's be honest, we haven't been good enough at home this season," Jackson said. "They deserve more from us, but we really need them, and we owe them.

"For us at home to try and create some intensity, be on the front foot and make a game of it, we need them. We want to finish the season in a positive way.

"But after their result [Europa League semi-final win], it will bring a bit of confidence back into the team. They're a very good team, very well coached.

"They have improved year-on-year, and I enjoy watching them play as well. They have a good style of play and are very good at what they do."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Burnley – Martin Dubravka

Dubravka has made 127 saves in the Premier League this season, over 20 more than any other goalkeeper, and you would expect him to make more here. 

The only Burnley goalkeepers to make more in a season are Brian Jensen (149 in 2009-10) and Tom Heaton (128 in 2014-15 and 141 in 2016-17).

Aston Villa – Emiliano Buendia

Buendia has had a hand in five Premier League goals as a substitute this season (four goals, one assist), with Leon Bailey in 2023-24 (three goals, four assists) the only Villa player with more in a season.

Marlon Harewood in 2007-08 is also the only Villa player with more goals as a sub in a campaign (five), though after his performance in midweek, Buendia will want a starting role. 

His eight assists for Villa in all competitions this season have come in the Europa League, with only Deniz Undav (six) having assisted more goals in the competition this term.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Villa have won their last three Premier League games against Burnley, as many as they had in their first 10 against them (D5 L2).

The Villans have also lost just one of their nine top-flight matches when facing a side already relegated (W5 D3), though that loss came against Burnley in May 2015 (0-1).

And Emery's side will be hoping their Europa League win can be a catalyst for their league form. Villa have picked up just seven points in their last eight Premier League matches (W2 D1 L5). In this timeframe, only Chelsea (three) and Burnley (one) have won fewer.

Burnley, meanwhile, have won one of their last 26 Premier League matches (D7 L18), coming from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 in February.

The Clarets have also won just two of their 13 league games against Villa (D5 L6), and are winless in five since a 3-2 home win in January 2021.

This will be Burnley manager Michael Jackson's 10th top-flight game in charge and his third in that time against Villa, losing at home and drawing away with them at the back end of 2021-22. It's the first time in Premier League history a manager will face the same club three times within his first 10 games.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Burnley – 20%

Draw – 21.7%

Aston Villa – 58.3%