Following their surge up the Premier League standings to secure European football last season, Aston Villa get preparations for the 2023-24 campaign under way when they visit Walsall on Saturday.

In a traditional friendly contest between the two West Midlands clubs, Villa will arrive at Bescot Stadium with one eye already on their top-flight opener against Newcastle United; meanwhile, their hosts are readying themselves for a fifth straight year in League Two.

Emery's Villans qualified for the Europa Conference League in May, after posting the club's best league finish for over a decade: victory on the final day saw them end 2022-23 on a high, securing seventh and a long-awaited return to continental football.

Therefore, expectations have been raised in the claret-and-blue half of England's second city, as Emery has certainly shown he can get the most out of an expensively-assembled squad that joined Brighton in upsetting the Premier League's established order.

Villa's Basque boss, who has overhauled the team's approach since succeeding Steven Gerrard, is now demonstrating his commitment to push for more: bringing in two signings of some pedigree already this summer: free transfer Youri Tielemans and reported £33m buy Pau Torres will complement a squad which recently returned to training at Bodymoor Heath and now aim to start pre-season with a positive performance.

For the first game of their warm-up schedule - which also features a trip to the USA - Villa will not have to travel far, meeting Walsall at nearby Bescot Stadium, where they will also take on Serie A side Lazio early next month.