'We can't' - Aston Villa star Moussa Diaby makes Champions League qualification claim after setback

Aston Villa star Moussa Diaby has responded to talk of a possible top four finish for his side this season. Unai Emery's men are now concentrating on Europa League action, facing AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night, and they go into that one on the back of a surprise away defeat.

Villa were beaten 2-0 away from home by one of their Midlands rivals, Nottingham Forest, on Sunday and that saw them lose ground on some of those above, though Arsenal and Tottenham both lost, while Liverpool could only manage a draw against Luton Town. Emery's men remain within two points of the top four as a result, and some fans are already getting excited about potential Champions League qualification, with fifth place also a potential Champions League spot this season.

But Diaby, who has scored three and assisted as many so far this season, wants cool heads as Villa look to battle some of the traditional top six sides for European spot this season.

“We can’t think about the Champions League just now. We have to go step-by-step and work hard to build the team," Diaby has said. "We have a lot of new players and need to continue to work together to play better and win a lot of games to make the top four or five in this league.”

Speaking about Villa's form, Diaby said: "At home our play is good, away is more difficult but I think every team is like this. We have to improve our game away from home in order to stay consistent and we have to find a style away from home which allows us to win.

“We have to find a solution to play well away from Villa Park. Then we can have a really good season because everyone knows how strong we are at home. Our problem is we’ve yet to show that form away from home so we must continue to work and improve our gameplan."