Unai Emery explains what he is demanding from Villarreal in La Liga this season

Unai Emery appears to be placing a much greater emphasis on Villarreal’s La Liga efforts this season.

The Yellows have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, sitting third after four games, picking up 10 points - the same total as second placed Barcelona.

Villarreal have scored nine goals across their first four outings, and they are yet to concede, managing clean sheets in every game so far.

Emery’s men picked up another win on Sunday with a 4-0 win over Elche on Sunday, in the first ‘home’ game, with games being played at Levante’s Ciudad de Valencia until the new year.

Last year, Villarreal struggled to win games they ‘should’ win and struggled with consistency.

While they have drawn with Getafe in their start to the season, they have looked a lot more confident in brushing Valladolid and Elche aside, while also defeating Atletico Madrid away from home.

That consistency is something Emery is looking for, with the Yellows boss saying: “We are demanding to find a regularity that we did not find last year.

“It was a huge challenge to see how we responded.

“We have done it at a very high level. Today was another challenge and it was to win the first game at home after not doing it in recent years.

Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

“Everything is coming within a very responsible block. It’s very nice to win. I liked the match in the 90 minutes.”

Emery has placed a great deal of emphasis on Europe during his first two seasons at the club, more or less sacrificing league form.

But it seems he is now giving much more credit to the club’s La Liga efforts, and a top four finish should be something Villarreal are targeting.