He is eager to change a personal record against Barcelona. He has lost 14 of his 15 games there and has beaten the Catalan side only three times in 30 attempts.
He has already achieved those goals, prompting speculation about the next step, whether at Villa or elsewhere.
The exhaustive nature of his character played a part in former president of football operations Monchi leaving last year, with Emery's close confidante needing a break.
That meticulousness is also what makes Emery and his teams so effective.
In the way his team plays, there is a clear structure, and in attack they have different patterns.
He described the coming fixture as a tough game against a good team and a great coach.
Emery said he started in 2004 and played in Europe 16 years in a row in different competitions, adding that he had learned in all of them. Barcelona are favourites because of the present and what they have done over the last 10 years, he said, but they need to confirm that role.
There will be times during the season when you walk your own path, he said, but it needs to be clear that the second part of the season is when things will be decided. Villa are not in a good position in the table, Emery said, so the focus had to be only on the next match.