Every word Unai Emery said about Liverpool draw, Garcia mistake, Rashford, Asensio and Disasi
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery spoke to the press after his side's draw with Liverpool
Unai Emery spoke to the media after Aston Villa's 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Villa Park.
Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins turned the game around before break, but Trent Alexander-Arnold equalised on the hour mark. Here is every word Emery said in his post-match press conference...
Unai, what did you make of your side's performance?
"Not happy really when we are not winning the match because we played a good match, we competed very well. But we are in the process, we want to get stronger in the Premier League. Even when some teams can be better than us, we have to try and compete against them and try to get progressively better with the possibility as well to dominate against Liverpool, to compete sometimes getting more chances than them.
"Of course, Liverpool are now the best team in the Premier League and the Champions League but we competed, we showed with our capacity as well to face them more or less close to get the victory.
"I think the result is really fair for both teams because they had chances but we had as well chances at the end, good chances. Maybe, in the last 10-20 minutes we deserved it more but over 90 mins I think it’s a fair result, even if maybe they had clearer chances than us.
"But I have to accept it. This draw is adding one point in the table - maybe not enough - but we need to keep going and try to get improvement with the players who have joined and the style and idea we want to build with this structure."
Was Garcia's mistake a big frustration?
"The same problem we were having sometimes two years ago but overall trying to analyse and to get better, to play dominating and try to get position with the players and start winning matches through it.
"Now, of course, we have to try to avoid mistakes but we have to accept mistakes and try to learn, to get better through it. We conceded one goal like that but I will never punish one action like that in the squad with the players.
"Always as well, Kamara is performing very well. Last year or two years ago maybe we had three or four mistakes (from Kamara) like today from Andres Garcia but we are always moving forward in the same idea."
How will you cut the mistakes out?
"Yes but every team can have some mistakes like that when they are trying to play with one idea and style. Of course, we are adding a lot of mistakes like that so we need to be more clinical with our analysis but overall in two years, we are building the idea and the structure, getting better."
And Garcia's reaction showed character...
"Yes, for example in the second half we had one action building up with the high press as well with some risks but we were breaking them and getting in the box with the possibility to score. It is more deep, the argument of why we want to try to dominate and to play in this idea."
What was the thinking behind playing a line against Liverpool's forwards?
"I think sometimes we weren’t holding the line like we planned. But this is a process as well because Axel and Andres are new players and we are working in the training session and with the video.
"We have to practise at this level with Salah, with Jota and Nunez. This is the better level we can face and this is the process we are doing. Sometimes we were doing a little bit not holding the line like we wanted - a bit higher - but this is the process. Of course, we keep moving forward and working to try to get better for the next matches. Today we had the information watching the game to analyse with the players."
Are you happy with Rashford and Asensio's adaptation?
"Yes, it’s the same. Getting better. Getting minutes, confidence, a good feeling with more or less Aston Villa as a club, the supporters, their teammates. I think they performed well. They played 65 minutes and are progressively helping us more and more."
How will you cope without Disasi this weekend?
"Yes, Axel can’t play on Saturday. We will see as firstly we have Lamare Bogarde and we needed him always when performing well with us, today he played 10 minutes.
"Konsa is close to coming back, Cash played 20 or 30 minutes. Of course, we have some injured players not available for Saturday but maybe some can come back. But we have enough players in the squad to compete, to play and to prepare against Chelsea on Saturday."
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