Aston Villa manager Unai Emery spoke to BBC’s Match of the Day: “I am incredibly pleased with the players, and while we need to analyze this match, overall we are satisfied with our points tally at this stage of the season.
“We had a strong first half, contrasting with our previous match against Chelsea. We competed well, gained momentum, and created opportunities. Defensively, we were solid, not allowing them any corners during the first half. However, the first goal in the second half shifted the game’s dynamics, and after that, they applied pressure. We also suffered an injury to Amadou Onana, which compromised our control in the middle. Ultimately, we ended up losing. My focus now is on understanding our overall performance over the 90 minutes.
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“Regarding the first goal, there might have been a foul, but in England, referees tend to be lenient with goalkeepers, and we have to accept that; it applies to both teams.”
On the end of Villa’s 11-match winning streak: “Football is all about the present. What we achieved before was outstanding, and while we could have aimed for a better outcome given our position in the league and our success in the Europa League, we need to focus on today’s analysis and the players we have.
On his quick exit down the tunnel and whether he was dissatisfied with anything: “Not at all. I usually wait to shake hands with the opposing coach, but he was occupied with his team, so I couldn’t wait. There are no hard feelings; I returned to my dressing room.”
Did you know?
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Aston Villa’s loss was only the fourth time in Premier League history that a team with a winning streak of eight or more games has been defeated by three or more goals, the first instance since Liverpool’s 18-match winning run was ended by a 3-0 loss to Watford in February 2020.
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Villa’s Ollie Watkins has scored a Premier League goal on his birthday for two consecutive years, netting against Brighton in 2024. He is the third player to achieve this, following Teddy Sheringham (1994, 1995) and Tomás Soucek (2022, 2025).