The win was Aston Villa's first over Liverpool since Emery arrived in October 2022, and the Spaniard was visibly emotional in his post-match reaction.
"Absolutely fantastic. Brilliant. The response of the supporters, very, very grateful. And the players, very, very grateful."
"This achievement is really fantastic. Europe, Champions League, 62 points, testing against Liverpool today. Since I came here, we didn't beat them — today is the first match we beat them."
He contextualised the win within the arc of what he has built at the club across four seasons.
"We are in the Champions League and this is something amazing. Four years here and four years in Europe. One in the Conference League, two in the Champions League and one in the Europa League. And we are in a final. To compete in both competitions, being consistent, is not easy, and we struggled with this. But all year we did a fantastic job in the Premier League. I am so proud."
Emery acknowledged a difficult first half but praised the second period and the atmosphere inside Villa Park, which he has described throughout the season as one of the decisive factors in the club's performances at home.
"Tough match the first half, the second half better. But how we are again in Champions League is really fantastic. I think our development makes sense — playing Europe makes sense, and playing Champions League makes more sense. And to compete like we did last year, or like we are doing this year, is something fantastic because it's so, so demanding."
He was equally insistent that celebrations must wait.
"Now we are going to be free to play the final for a trophy. Respecting the opponent, 50/50 the possibilities to win. But how we are now — so, so happy, so, so proud of everything. Not celebration. We must try to be calm. Celebrate after Wednesday, hopefully."
Villa face Freiburg in Istanbul. It is Freiburg's first European final and Villa's first since 1982.