Useful Big League Tests Ahead of Champions League Knockouts
Aston Villa battled to a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Liverpool, pushing the league leaders to the wire in the recent pulsating encounter at Villa Park. While Unai Emery had with mixed emotions after the final whistle, he will no doubt see the game and the upcoming visit of Chelsea to Villa Park, as a chance to get battle ready for the upcoming tests of the Champions League.
“In the table we are more or less under our target”
– Unai emery
This is what Unai Emery had to say after the Liverpool game and ahead of the Chelsea clash:
Emery: “We Showed Our Ambition”
Despite frustration at dropping points at home again, Emery was pleased with his team’s performance and their ability to go toe-to-toe with the Premier League leaders.
“I’m happy with the match we played and how we performed,” said Emery. “We’re in a new era, a new way. We’re not happy drawing at home, of course – we did against Ipswich Town on Saturday, and again, we repeated with a draw.”
While acknowledging that Villa were in the game throughout, Emery accepted that the result was a fair reflection of a game that saw both sides create plenty of chances.
“I think the result was fair because I think both teams were creating chances, and sometimes one team was dominating, then the other team was,” he explained. “More or less, over 90 minutes, I think the result is fair.”
“Of course, we wanted to win,” he added. “And the most important thing was we showed until the last minute how we were pushing, how we were attacking, trying to get a third goal. We tried until the last moment, but the result is not enough.”
Still, there were positives to take, with several players continuing to improve and injured players returning to action, strengthening the squad for the crucial period ahead, especially when it comes to the two-legged last 16 Champions League encounter with Club Brugge.
“We can be happy with how we played, how we performed. Some players as well, how they’re progressively getting better with us. And recovering some injured players as well.”
Home Form a Concern Ahead of Chelsea Clash
While Villa’s resilience and fight against Liverpool was encouraging, their home form remains a concern. Despite only losing once at Villa Park in the league this season (to Arsenal), six home draws have halted momentum. With Chelsea visiting on Saturday, Emery is fully aware that picking up three points is now essential.
“We keep going, our focus now against Chelsea. At home, we’ve only lost one match against Arsenal in the Premier League. But we’re drawing a lot of matches.
“In the table we are more or less under our target, and [against Chelsea] we have to try to get this opportunity again to try to compete and to try to get three points.”
With the season reaching a pivotal stage, Villa need to start turning performances into wins if they are to stay in the fight for European qualification. The clash against Chelsea now presents a clear must-win opportunity to regain momentum.
UTV
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