Emery bizarrely 'very happy' with Villa's draw at relegated Burnley

Fulham v Aston Villa - Premier League

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has raised eyebrows by insisting he was "very happy" with his side's 2-2 draw against relegated Burnley on Sunday. The Spanish boss launched a passionate defence of his squad at Turf Moor, remaining steadfastly positive even as their pursuit of Champions League qualification hit a significant roadblock.

Aston Villa stumble against relegated Burnley

Despite seeing his side held to a 2-2 draw by a Burnley team already condemned to the Championship and playing without a permanent manager, Emery refused to be critical.

The Clarets took a shock lead through Jaidon Anthony. Ross Barkley and Ollie Watkins turned the game around, only for Zian Flemming to snatch a point. This means that Villa have taken just one point from their last three league outings, leaving their Champions League aspirations hanging in the balance after reaching the Europa League final on Thursday following a 4-1 aggregate victory over Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals.

Burnley v Aston Villa - Premier League

Emery defends his exhausted squad

Emery launched a fierce defence of his players, stating: "I’m very, very happy, and with the result as well, very happy. It’s been difficult to be fifth in the league until game 36, very difficult. And it’s been very difficult to be in the top five for Liverpool, they are with us, with the same points. For Bournemouth behind us and Brighton, they are fighting teams and they are being fantastic. It’s fantastic to be where we are. Today the point is not enough, I know it’s not enough, but I know the difficulty to achieve three points here. But how we compete, how the players show with their wishes to win, I am so, so proud of them. And, of course, after on Thursday we achieved the final in the Europa League, how we are doing in both competitions. To play in Europe and to play in the Premier League in the top positions is very difficult. We are doing it and the players are doing a huge effort. Of course, the second part of the season we are struggling, we are not achieving the points like the first part of the season."

Burnley find positives despite empty seats

Interim Burnley boss Michael Jackson was pleased with the spirited display, which ended a run of five straight losses. Addressing the sparse home crowd, Jackson said: "I totally understand that. It costs money to come to football games and everything around it, the times that we live in. I’ve got no problem with that. The fans that were here were really good and got behind the team today. If more of them can come, then brilliant."

For Villa, the primary concern remains squad fitness, with Emery noting: "Some of them are tired but they want to play, and they are ready. Today it was very important as well not to have injured players."

Burnley v Aston Villa - Premier League

What lies ahead for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa face a daunting schedule to secure Champions League football. Tied on 59 points with fourth-placed Liverpool and just four points ahead of Bournemouth, they host the Reds next. Emery's men then battle Freiburg in the Europa League final on May 20, before a gruelling season finale away to Manchester City.