Chess, lectures & ignoring noise: Emery masters Europe again
Whatever he does, he does completely. Meeting a target is, of course, a professional outcome - but also the conclusion of a responsibility he takes personally. To sustain that, he has learned to protect his concentration fiercely.
He is able to ignore any external noise. When Villa were criticised for resting key players in their home defeat by Tottenham before the second leg of the Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest , Emery did not blink. He had calculated that the points they needed in the league to secure Champions League qualification would come from somewhere else if they were needed.
And he was right. Villa Park helped. Emery has always drawn energy from stands that believe.
What next when the campaign ends? He'll go to his hometown of Hondarribia or favourite holiday destination Mallorca to walk by the sea and meet friends that have nothing to do with football. He will spend time with his mum.
He might even join her when she does her daily swim off the Basque coast - and he'll allow himself to sleep a little more than usual. The extent of Emery's Aston Villa revolution cannot be underestimated. When the Spaniard took charge on 1 November 2022, Villa were 16th in the Premier League - two places and one point above the relegation zone.