At Villa Park on 18/1, Aston Villa dominated, controlling possession 63% and taking 18 shots with 5 on target, but failed to score. The last time Aston Villa could not score from 18 shots in mot Premier League match was against Chelsea in 10/2022.
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Aston Villa players expressed disappointment after conceding in their 0-1 loss to Everton in Premier League round 22 on 18/1. Photo: AP |
Everton played with a deep defensive line, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities and capitalizing on opponent errors to decide the match. In the 58th minute, Pau Torres lost possession just outside the penalty area, allowing Dwight McNeil to curl a shot towards the far corner. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez failed to hold onto the ball, and Thierno Barry pounced on the rebound, securing ba points for Everton.
Aston Villa could not capitalize on hai of their rivals above them also dropping points (Arsenal drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest, Man City lost 0-2 to Man Utd). They remain third with 43 points, level with Man City and 7 points behind Arsenal.
After the match, coach Unai Emery appeared in a somber mood during a Sky Sports interview. The Spanish manager repeatedly gave short answers, even falling silent when asked why he believed Aston Villa could not compete with the league's top teams.
"We are not a top 5 contender. Currently, Aston Villa is not a team that can compete", Emery stated. "There are other teams with greater potential than us".
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Coach Unai Emery reacts during the match. Photo: PA |
This statement left pundits in the Sky Sports studio puzzled. Ashley Young, a former Man Utd and Aston Villa player, described the interview as "strange", while Jamie Redknapp suggested Emery's demeanor was "hard to explain".
"Everyone could see he was angry", Young remarked. "It could be due to injuries, as the casualty list grew longer with John McGinn, while Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana remain absent. It's also possible Emery is sending a message to the board that he needs more players".
According to Young, the unusual aspect was that Emery did not speak much about the match's developments or the chance to close the gap on Arsenal, but instead emphasized that 5 other teams possess greater potential than Aston Villa.
Jamie Redknapp echoed this sentiment, adding: "This is certainly one of the strangest interviews I have ever seen, especially the end part when he fell silent after a normal question. Perhaps Emery is disappointed with this performance and result".
In Premier League round 23 on 24/1, Aston Villa will travel to face Newcastle - a club currently 8th with 33 points.
Hong Duy
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